Tales of Giovanni's Son
by lord Martiya
Summary: Everyone knows Giovanni, Team Rocket's leader. But very few people know his worst enemy: his own son. Who's him? Why is he fighting him? This is his story. Dedicated to the misterious boy of the games who stolen a Totodile and opposed Team Rocket.
1. Chapter 1

Hi, I'm lord Martiya. First of all, I want apologize for my bad English, I'm Italian and I don't use English often. Second, this is my first fanfiction on the _Pokemon_ anime and videogames, and I wanted to use the misterious 'Silver' from the games as protagonist. I hope you will like his tales.

by lord Martiya

**TALE 01: VS SALAMENCE**

So, you want to know about my history as a trainer? Very well, but I have to warn you, my tales are not very educative, I was a Team Rocket member, and before become sane I did many things that I regret. So?

...

...

Whatever, it's your choice.

I was eight years old when it all began. That day Giovanni, my not-exactly beloved father, bringed me with him at the Indigo Plateau to see the so-called First Saffron Gym Challenge.

''So, who will win?'' he asked me.

''Kiyo is a Fighting-type Pokemon trainer, so Adam(1)'s Psychic Pokemons have a type advantage. I responded. But if Kiyo's Pokemons are strong enough he could beat that gym leader: you regularly beat Grass and Water-type Pokemon with disadvantaged Ground-type Pokemons, and even Flying-type Pokemon aren't usually a match, so...''

''Good response, my son. Oh, the judge is here. Let's see the match.''

The judge was that Mister Lance who at that time was the Master Champion of our entire league... BTW, can you tell me how our league managed to become such thing? No other league is similar... Hey, you are a very big one in the league, this is why you're supposed to know... Nevermind, it's no important. As I said, the judge was Mister Lance, who announced the match. As you know, despite the enemy advantage Kiyo won the match, beating Adam's Mr. Mime, Hypno, Espeon, Xatu, Slowbro and Alakazam with loss for his Tyrogue, Hitmonlee and Hitmontop and without even use his Machamp.

We had some funnie, like when the Cinnabar Island gym leader, Blaine, yanked Brock, son of the then-Pewter City gym leader Flint Harrison and himself a future gym leader, from Gardenia Town gym leader (all the gym leaders contemporary to Brock and the majority of their relatives took this habit, even me) during the party for Kiyo's victory (he didn't know that he had to pay until a Joy and a Jenny presented him the bill), but for the rest the day was boring after the match.

The day after we were about to return to Viridian when we saw a Meowth and a Sneasel running away with something stolen from the three then Cerulean gym leaders. No, I don't know what, my father refused to say and now I have no will to investigate it, while I'm able to suppose from the fury of the three girls (for years I supposed that they stolen Cascadebagdes. I was SO wrong...) and their volenterous protectors Brock, Surge and Hercule (yes, he was already a gym leader). My father decided to help the three girls and tripped up the thieves.

''Hey, you, do you want trouble?!'' asked the Meowth.

Yes, a talking Meowth, the infamous talking Meowth from Hollywood who worked for Team Rocket and was fixated in being my father's 'top cat'. Everybody exclamed "A talking Meowth?!", everybody but me, who was young and with little experience, and my father, who deduced that a Meowth has to be really intelligent to learn human language (he had no possibility to deduce the great insanity of that Meowth) and asked him: ''And you? Why do you stolen badges from gym leaders?''

The Meowth looked at the Waterflower sisters and then said: ''Hey, we didn't know that they were gym leaders, only that they were famous for their aquatic ballets, and we stolen...'' he then looked at me and said: ''I cannot tell what we stolen...''

''You stolen something to sell to their fanbase.'' my father said, and the Meowth nodded.

Suddendly the Sneasel interrupted them, and the Meowth responded: ''You're right, Snyer! Run! Run!''

The two Pokemon tried to run away, but my father trowed the Safari Ball of his Nidoking, stopping them with a Pokemon of his main team, and then attacking Sneasel with a Trash attack. Sneasel dodged the first strike, but not the second, and then my father recalled his Pokemon and, seeing that Snyer (as the talking Meowth called him) was harmed but still standing, trowed an Ultra Ball to catch the Sneasel. And nothing happened. After a laugh, Meowth stated: ''Snyer's trainer is death but he's yet a captured Pokemon from Cianwood City, he cannot be captured in this way!''

My father simply trowed an Ultra-level Snag Ball(2), catching Snyer in face of his being a tecnically captured Pokemon. Then he turned on the Meowth, who said: ''You're strong! Who are you?!''

''I'm Giovanni P...''

''Viridian City Gym Leader?!''

''Y-yes...''

''I was looking for you! Please, take me as your Top Cat! I'll do whatever you want! Pleease!''

The Meowth purred, and my father, seeing the strange situation and all the present (his Nidoking and me comprised) were trying to not laugh at him, accepted. Returned at the gym the Meowth confessed that he was looking for my father because he managed to know his role as Team Rocket leader. Before going to think about how use that annoying and overtalking Meowth (he ended up using him as servant and secretary, before aquiring a Persian causing a loss of his performances), my father gave me the Ultra Ball with Snyer and said: ''This is your challenge: make him obey you.''

''What?!'' I exclaimed.

''Do you want to be strong?''

''Yes...''

''So, you'll have to win this challenge.''

At that time my father was the most important person in the world in my opinion, so I maked no other question, while I had a really difficult challenge: make a notoriously vicious Pokemon to obey me, while I wasn't his original trainer.

Obviously, the first days weren't easy: the first day he tried to organize a revolt between the gym's Pokemon; the second day he sacked all the Pokemon food of the gym and tried to sale it to passing trainers (thankfully I was able to stop him while organizing the deal with Meowth); the third day he managed to sale a Magikarp to a passing trainer. Then, I understood how make him obey me: I had to demonstrating me a better 'businessman', as he was more happy of the sales than other things. I'll return later on how I sensed it, just listen for now.

After the demonstration, Snyer become a loyal buddy, and no, I won't reveal particulars on that demonstration. Why? Well, the rare times I revelead that business the people believe that I'm joking or risk to choke for the laughing.

That day I went to the gym's arena to show my victory to my father, but he was about to fight a challenger. I decided to see the battle: Viridian's Gym battles were always interesting, even if their end was every time the same. You know, at the time Giovanni didn't lose a Gym Battle, because the rare and strong trainers who managed to beat two of the initial Pokemon (one if they were really strong) had then to face one or two of the powerful Ground Pokemon of Giovanni's main party, six Master-level Pokemon strong as the ones of a Battle Frontier's Frontier Brain or even an Elite Four. So, I was really surprised when the gates of the main party's Pokemon(3) opened at the beginning, and even more surprised when my father's Dugtrio exited from the gates: not only that Dugtrio was the fastest and the third strongest Pokemon of my father, but he used him in Gym Battles only when he really needed his speed and his evading skills, because his galleries were a nightmare for upkeep. Then I saw the opponent's Pokemon: a simple CHIKORITA. OK, he had the type advantage, but one time I saw a Meganium being beated by the initial impact of a simple Sand Tomb of my father's Sandslash, the weakest Pokemon of his main party, and you know that in the initial impact a Sand Tomb is not very powerful... What the heck was happening?!

My father beginning unleashing a Sandstorm, and then a Slash. A powerful combo, you know: Sandstorm dealed damages to the Chikorita while covering Dugtrio, and Slash is very damaging. And the Chikorita retailated with a Wine Whip, managing to strike Dugtrio a split-second before he went underground. I knew exactly what was about to happen. And, immediatly, the Chikorita experienced in succession a powerful Earthquake, a Mud Slap and another Slash, and then, after the placing of some Spikes(4), was fainted by another Slash.

I was expecting other victories. Then the challenger sent out a Dragonite, who skipped the Spikes in flying and, in the exact beginning of the round, fainted Dugtrio with a Bubblebeam before he could go underground. In a single move, the challenger defeated that Dugtrio and reversed the Spike's trap. My father was in trouble, and he sent out the Nidoking and immediatly attacked with Blizzard, an attack used even by the challenger's Dragonite, disperding the Spikes. After the confront, concluded in a draw, Nidoking used Hyper Beam, hitting Dragonite, who retailated with an Ice Beam, freezing Nidoking during the recharge, and then with a Blizzard, fainting him.

Dragonite, damaged at the wings from the Hyper Beam, was forced to land, while my father sent out his Nidoqueen, who immediatly used Fissure. Yes, Fissure. And no, Viridian Gym never had an open arena. Simply the Gym was builded for Ground-type Pokemons, so has some feature that permitted it to deal with the powerful attack with no damage.

Normally a trainer don't use Fissure in a closed space to not collapsing it, so both the challenger and the Dragonite were surprised like you just a minute ago, and the poor Dragon, caught on ground with harmed wings, was hit by the one-hit KO move and fainted, making the challenger laughing.

''It was a lot from the last time someone stand up against me, do you know this?'' he said. ''Now it's time to win. Go, Salamence!''

In the instant the round began, Salamence used Dragonbreath, managing to paralize Nidoqueen, and then striked with Dragon Claw, fainting Nidoqueen and winning the match and the Earthbadge.

I couldn't believe it: in my mind, my father was the strongest trainer of all, and not only that man managed to defeat him, but he even managed to faint his Nidoqueen, his strongest Pokemon, with only two attacks. How was happened?! The answer was simple, and my father said it to me: ''He was strong, too strong even to me.''

''But you're the strongest in the world!'' I exclaimed.

''I'm really strong, and I'm also the major Ground Pokemon expert in the world, but I'm not the strongest. There's EVER someone strongest.''

''But...''

''And you can become strong, much stronger than me.''

''What?!''

''It's true. Do you want to be the very best, like no one ever was?''

I was shocked. Being stronger than my father? Being the strongest of all? I accepted. The day after I went to Mahogany Town, to the local Team Rocket base and training academy.

footnotes

(1)Name that I gived to an unnamed character appeared in the anime, I'll reveal (or, more probably, confirm) who in future. This name come from his voice actress, Adam Blaustein (also known as Maddie Blaustein).

(2)A type of Pokè Ball from the games _Pokemon Colosseum_ and _Pokemon XD: The Gale of Darkness_ used to catch captured Pokemon (snagging), is a normal Pokè Ball modified by a Snag Machine to snag a Pokemon. In the anime, the Pokè Ball used by Jessie in the episode _Bad to the Bone_ in the attempted thieft of Otoshi's Doduo is probably a Snag Ball converted from a normal Pokeball, and probably even the strange Pokè Balls used by Mewtwo in _Mewtwo Strikes Back_ were a type of dedicated Snag Ball developed from Team Rocket.

(3)The gates that Mewtwo used to enter in the gym's Arena in _The Battle for the Badge_.

(4)For who don't know: Spikes is a Ground-type move that lays a trap of spikes that damages switched Pokemon, like the Rock-type Stealth Rock used by Roark's Onix in the anime. It has no effect on Flying Pokemon.


	2. Chapter 2

Second chapter. And the debut of some old friend from the anime.

by lord Martiya

X C2-Chikaru: not exactly, this fanfic is on a my interpretation of Silver. This Silver is partly based on the manga, yes, but he's more my version of the videogame character.

**TALE 02: VS JIGGLYPUFF**

When I arrived in Mahogany Town, I immediatly encountered the principal of the academy, a woman with a mean appearance.

''So, you're the Boss' son?'' she asked. ''Good. If you think to be treated like a king, you're wrong: I only value the personal ability, not the family.''

I smiled relieved: I found very annoying the adoration reserved to me in Viridian City bec... I was just saying it: I want be treated for what _**I**_ am, not for what my father is! What did you think, that I was one of these annoying and snobbish people who believe to be gods only because their relatives are important?! Returning to the principal, she then said: ''You'll have a test, now.''

''What kind of test?'' I asked.

''Uh uh... The most terrible of all imaginable test.''

I thinked about things like feed a rampaging Gyarados or wet the flame of a baby Charmander with his Charizard mother looking at me, but I was wrong, the test was worse, for most people: it was a WRITTEN TEST. Yes, a written test, to verify my basic knowledge about all types of Pokemon.

Sadly, even I'm one of the ten or twenty people in the world who love written tests I have to admit that the test was nightmarish: who the hell in the world cares about the weight of Magikarp's eggs and similar things, apart Pokemon Breeders?! And, to make the thing worse, the principal eliminated all questions about Ground-type: because I'm Giovanni's son the principal deduced that I was really prepared on Ground-type Pokemon (I even know the medium weight of every Ground Pokemon's egg), so she eliminated all the relative questions.

After I completed the test, she corrected it immediatly, and stated: ''Better than I tough. Normally people fail 80 of questions, you failed only the silly questions about Pokemon's eggs weight and similar... Male Nidoran egg's weight, now!''

I responded right, and she commented: ''The boss is an hars teacher, right? Well, you have the second best scores of ever, and you're qualified for the pratical test. Viper(1)!''

A man entered in the room, and the principal tell him: ''He's the fourth. Ah, he has a Pokemon.''

Viper guided me to an helicopter, where I found a girl with a Jigglypuff, a girl with her face covered by a book and a bully-like boy. The boy was the one who talked me first: ''So, another one made it. Greetings, I'm Andreas, the geek is Domino(2) and the trainer of the Jigglypuff is Rose. And you?''

''I'm Enrico.'' I responded, coldly.

''Oh, my... Another applicant for the Peevish of the Year Contest... Are you and Rose relate...''

''ATTENTION, PLEASE!'' Viper shouted. When all of us looked at him, he said: ''You four passed the test with adequate scores for A Rank Agent training. But Team Rocket pretends not only theorical abilities but also pratical ones. So, you now will be transported in Kanto, to our special reserve near Route 22 and Route 23. Wild Pokemons in that reserve are fairly strong and know every possible move for their species, thanks to the efforts of a selected breeding team. Your pratical test will be capture one of those Pokemon in 24 hours. For this task, you'll use only one Pokemon. Roberts, Harvey, you have no Pokemon, so you'll borrow one each for the task. Come here and chose.''

While Andreas and Domino chose their Pokemon (respectively a Nidorino and a Diglett), Rose recalled her Jigglypuff in the Pokeball and glared at me, and then smiled.

During the trip, Andreas said: ''That girl is apparently mad at anyone. I wonder why...''

''Hey, do you have a problem with it?'' she said angrily.

''Oh, it's your problem...''

''Exactly, so don't go in my own business.''

''Spoiled girl...'' I commented.

She angrily glared at me, then picked up a journal and read it.

When we arrived in place, Viper sent us out. I quickly found, frozen and caught a Male Nidoran with the Poison Point ability who I nicknamed Federico(3). Then I heard clapping: Rose was behind me and was cheering at me.

''You was amazing!'' she said. ''You beated that Pokemon with such skills...''

''Weren't you supposed to caught a Pokemon?'' I replied.

''Just done.''

She took out a Pokeball and showed me her prey, a Female Nidoran.

''See? A Nidoran...'' she said, but then stopped and, after some second, exclaimed: ''Incredible! We caught Nidorans! This is a sign of the destiny! Oh, I was so mean on the helicopter...''

I was shocked for the change of attitude: on the helicopter she was mean and mad at everything, but now she was cheerful and happy. And even really cute. This saved me from being fooled: at the elementary school I was almost scammed by a cute girl (that time I was saved by my big sister), and I learned the lesson (and even the cute girl: she has still nightmares about Rhyhorns). So I replied: ''And now you're about to get worse, aren't you?''

She grinned, and then said: ''Rollout!''

Snyer and I narrowly avoided her Jigglypuff's attack.

''Good, you're not a simple study-nerd, you're really a bit smart and fast.'' she commented. ''We really could be a good couple... What a pity that you insulted me in that way.''

''What insult?'' I asked.

''Spoiled girl. Goodbye, cutie!''

Rose bowed her head, and a boulder flyed over me. Luckily, Snyer reacted with an Ice Beam, freezing the boulder, and a Cut, with obvious results. Rose and her damned Jigglypuff, who used Strengt to launch the boulder, were a bit disappointed.

''Ice Beam, now.'' I ordered.

The Jigglypuff was hit and frozen, but managed to freed himself from the ice. Too late: Snyer managed to deliver him a Dynamic Punch. Then, Snyer kneeled in pain: before being sent flying, that Jigglypuff managed to hit with Mega Kick where human and Pokemon males don't want to be hit, and Snyer is male. While Rose went to retrieve her Jigglypuff, I recalled Snyer in my Pokeball and returned to the helicopter to heal him.

When Rose returned, Viper said: ''You both returned before your companions, as expected from the two best grades ever. I'll leave you alone, probably you will be paired.''

''So, you were the one with superior grades.'' I said.

''Yeah, yeah...'' she replied. ''But what was he saying?''

''Strange, I assumed that you knew it: Team Rocket's field agents work in duos and are trained to work in duos.''

''WHAT?!''

''Duos from the training are used as first assignment of the agents and endure until one of the members is somehow incapacitated to work for long periods.''

She cryed for desperation.

''Ehi, I also hate the idea, but I'm not crying...'' I said.

''SHUT UP, YOU!'' she replied, angrily. Then she calmed and said: ''OK, maybe we will really end up as couple, so let's make a deal: I will not attack you anymore and you will not insult me anymore with 'spoiled' and similar words. OK, brat?''

''OK. But why are you so mad at that word?''

''It's not of your business, and you can't understand. Nobody can't.''

I didn't try again. Some hour after, Domino returned with a Mankey, who she nicknamed Tulip, and we finally managed to see her without a book covering her face. What a pity that she wore an ice-look alike mask... Why? Oh, well, she's a bit crazy, and loved a certain novel from the moment she learned how to read. Yes, the novel is _The Mask of Ice_, of the Heroes Saga(4). Returning to Andreas, he was the last to return with a Sandshrew, who he nicknamed Gaara. Some time after he revealed that he wanted a Sandshrew, and chosed Nidorino to have no advantage on him. After Andreas' return, we all were declared A-class trainees and returned to Mahogany Town.

Then the training began under the direction of the principal herself: an incredible torture, with physical training based on evading her Weavile's Cut attacks while wearing human-sized Macho Braches, lift bouders, fight against Fighting-type Pokemons and similar things. How did we managed to survive? Oh, simple: Karen, Viper and the others were training us, not trying to kill us, so they attacked us with power and speed adequate to stress us but not to really kill us if we used all our abilities, even if in the first months we were too busy in escaping to note it.

After this time, during wich I and Rose argued in every occasion and Domino had the silly idea of her infamous 'black tulips' from the title of the novel _The Black Tulip_(5), our training shifted to stealth abilities under the responsability of Viper and alongside the aspiring B-. For this we got green uniforms similar to the blue and dark red of the other trainees and passed various time with the others. It was at that time that I met Jesse, James, Cassidy and that idiot for the first time. Who's the idiot? Butch, obviously. Yes, I'm one of the few people in the world who can tell its name right, but I refuse to call it right in its presence. In the period James managed to impress me and Rose being the only one able to stop our fights without risking a beating from Fairy, Rose's Jigglypuff. And this characteristic caused a trouble.

That day in the spare time I caught a Murkrow that I nicknamed Aureliano(3), and in the mess Rose heavy criticized the nickname calling it dumb, specially in comparison to the nickname of the Ditto she caught in her spare time, Ditty.

''I have imagination, a thing you clearly lack.'' I responded.  
''Imagination and horrible taste are different things!'' she replied.

''Hey, guys, am I invited to your marriage?'' James asked, shutting us up for the surprise. ''You know, you are like a married couple...''

The only one who didn't laugh were Rose, me and the damned idiot Butch. I and Rose said, at the same time: ''Tell me a reason to marry this idiot! AND DON'T COPY ME!!''

''Oh, well, you have various characteristic in common, like a similar reason to be always in bad mood...'' he said, being then interrupted by Butch.

That idiot was from Viridian City, and shouted: ''Are you dumb or only ignorant?! How could the boss's son have something in common with her?!''

Domino then commented upon the thing with three words: ''Biff, you idiot.''

''THE NAME IS BUTCH!! BUTCH!! BUTCH!!''

''Whatever you are named, you're still idiot.''

footnotes

(1)The Team Rocket Academy instructor and Drill Sergeant from _Training Daze_. He's guilty to have paired Butch and Cassidy at Team Rocket Academy, but then redeemed himself pairing Jesse & James. It's not known what's happened to him after Jesse, James, Cassidy and Butch graduated.

(2)Yes, this Domino is the same Domino from the _Mewtwo Returns_ special. Her surname here come from Domino Harvey, a female bounty hunter died in 2005. Apart this, there's no relation between my Domino and Domino Harvey.

(3)Apart for Snyer, there is a common theme in Silver's Pokemons nicknames. If you can find it you can ask a spoiler and I will answer without horrible jokes like Togepi is the lord of darkness and want to conquer all dimensions (yes, I know Pokemopolis).

(4)Novels existing in this fanfiction, they're very old adventure books very well-knowed and readed but ignored in schools. If you want to know the plot of the Hero Saga, read _Pokémon Adventures_: the novels of the Heroes Saga are basically a novelized version of the various chapters of the manga. The novels, who took their names from the respective foes, are: _The Earth Master_ (Red&Green&Blue Saga, namesaker Giovanni), _The Dragon Tamer_ (Yellow Saga, namesaker Lance), _The Mask of Ice_ (Gold&Silver&Crystal Saga until the battle at the Lake of Rage, namesaker Pryce/Mask of Ice), _The Chosen Children_ (Gold&Silver&Crystal Saga from the Lake of Rage to the end, namesakers Will, Karen and Team Rocket Executives), _The Landscape Changers_ (Ruby-Sapphire Saga, namesakers Archie and Maxie), _The Searching Man_ (FireRed&LeafGreen Saga, namesaker Giovanni again), _The Insane Waterlover_ (the ongoing Emerald Saga, namesaker Archie/Guile Hideout) and _The Conqueror of Space and Time_ (the ongoing Diamond&Pearl Saga, namesaker Cyrus). Obviously all the characters have their name changed (don't ask me how, I don't know even I), with the exception of Silver, who's always called in this manner until _The Searching Man_.

(5)This is a real world novel by Alexandre Dumas, père.


	3. Chapter 3

Third chapter, now. This time Domino will show part of her crazyness with her Pokemons and the scarier anime character will debut.

by lord Martiya

**TALE 03: VS DITTO**

I don't remember what happened in the immediate aftermath of the revelation, I was totally blinded by the anger. According to Rose I literally neutralized him with kicks and broke his face before being knocked out by Domino's black tulip and placed in my bed in the green dormitory.

I woke up some hour after, screaming because my then-recurrent nightmare and seeing Rose looking at me.

''What are you doing here?'' I rudely asked.

''Hey, nice to meet you too.'' she replied. ''Let's talk a bit, Enrico. I can call you by name, can I?''

''What sort of scam are you trying?''

''I'm only trying to be gentle with someone who hates the people even more than me.''

''You hate the people? Why?''

''I'm from a little town and my mother runs the only restaurant, so everyone knows me and my father, one of the best trainers in Kanto: in all my life I met only four people outside my family who knew about my father and didn't judged me before know me. Well, five, if that James really know about my family. I suppose that being the son of the owner of the entire city in wich you live is a bit similar to this...''

''How can I believe to the greatest liar of the Team Rocket history?''

''Greatest liar in T.R. history... Very funny. See this, maybe you know the face, you're from Viridian...''

She showed me a photo of her family. The photo showed her with her mother, her little brother and sister and her father. The trainer who managed to beat my father in that gym battle.

''H-have you learned something from him?'' I asked.

''My father is a good trainer but a pathetic teacher.'' she replied after closing her eyes for a while. ''I relied only on my own abilities and some trick from my mother and one of our neighbour to... Hey, what are you looking at?''

''You want to be the very best, like no one ever was.''

''Do you have some trouble whit it?''  
''No. But this make us rivals, Rose. Now let me sleep and call me by name, OK?''

I then had again my recurrent nightmare. Twice in a night, and the second time I didn't managed to wake up, so I had to listen the damned voice, I'll return on it, who, after thanking for the good food, that time even teased me about supposedly being a ladies' boy. One of the worst night of my life.

The day after I searched James, but I found Domino looking him and Jesse shouting to each other.

''What's happening?'' I asked.

''Times ago they were friends, but now Jesse don't want to be his friend.'' Domino answered. ''Good, they're about to finish.''

Jesse kicked James' leg and went in the gym. Then I approached James and I asked: ''How did you knew about me and Rose?''

''Oh, well, I saw Rose on a journal with her father. And for you...'' James said. Then he closed his eyes, smiled and said: ''Well, that's a secret(1).''

''Is it linked to your relatives?'' Domino asked, totally scaring James.

''H-how do you know?''

''I read a lot. Not only books, but even journals, magazines and the Pokemon Technical archive.''

''Hu-ho...''

''I suppose that you and Jesse met for the first time when the both of you got the lowest scores of anybody in Pokemon Tech history and failed to enter, didn't you?''

''Yes...'' James answered, his smile completely melted by Domino.

''So, what did the both of you did after that total failure?''

''Well, we went to Sunny Town and formed a bike gang with some guy of the place. I was Trainer Jim, she was Chainer Jesse... Good times, ah, go...''

''So you needed training wheels while old enough for the Pokemon Tech?'' I asked.  
''Yes... Well, that was the most wonderful period of my life. But then she found a boyfriend, who treated her badly and then dumped her after... How old are you?''

''Nine years and six months.''

''I'm twelve.'' Domino said.

''Well, return when you'll be 18 or older, OK? But that thing happened nine times in nine months!! Damned them! And I even failed to protect her from them! Oh, and when the gang went after those f... after them, Jesse abandoned us! Now that I found her, I want to stay with her and...''

At that point James began ranting for a lot of time, and I and Domino went to our lessons.

From that day we of the Green Team became a very united group. Each of us never had a friend before, so when somehow we lowered the walls of ice around our hearts we unknowly... Well, I don't know what exactly happened, but we become friends.

What? Why we never had friends before? Well, you know about Rose and me. About Domino, she was declared the weirdo of her class for her loving of books, and after some failed approach when she was five she decided to stand out of the people and began to act in some weird manner. About Andreas, he punched a bully in his very first day of school, and from that time the bullies of his school declared that if wanted to be his friend he would be beated, and you can imagine the rest.

The time passed, we perfected, captured Pokemon and laughed about the harsh treatment the people reserved to Butch on my comments (Rose's idea), and then we were ready for the final exam, supervised by the newest addition to the school staff.

''Greetings, I'm Will.'' he said while holding a box. ''As you probably know, I used to be in the Elite Four. Now I'm your examiner. Show me your Pokemon, now, and then pick a ball from the ticket. In alphabetical order of your name, please.''

Andreas went first and showed him Gaara, his Sneasel, called Temari, and his Schyter, Zabusa. Will commented that their training was an adequate work for his standards (the standards of an ex-Elite Four. For an ordinary trainer, it was an outstanding work) and let him pick the ball, the yellow one. Then went Domino, who showed her Riolu, Aaron (an homage to the famous sir Aaron: she is from Rota in the old Cameron Kingdom(2), and sometimes he used to pretend to be related to Sir Aaron), her Jigglypuff, Rose (named after Rose: she nicknamed all her Pokemon after people who had them as starters), her Sandshrew, Andreas (yes, she nicknamed him after Andreas), her Sneasel Enrico (named after me), her just evolved Primeape Tulip (sometimes I wonder if she named her after herself...) and her Nidoqueen Giovanna (named after my father(3). I refuse to comment on this). Will commented that her training was more than adequate, and she picked the green ball. Then I showed my Murkrow Aureliano, my Ursaring Eugenio, Federico, who just evolved in Nidoking, my Seadra Ambrosio and Snyer, and Will commented that I was doing a more than adequate work in general and a good work on Federico. I picked the red ball. Rose was the last, with her soon-to-be infamous Ditty, her Clefairy Clefy, her Nidoqueen Nidory (for a long time she was one of two her only fully-evolved Pokemon), her Snubbull Bully and Fairy. She picked up the blue ball, and Will commented that she did a good work.

Then Will asked us: ''Now, tell me the colors of your balls. No, I can't see colors, I'm almost blind, but I can read your superficial thoughts with my psychic powers. Now, Domino, you're the luckiest: the green ball assigned you the mission of capture ten rare Pokemons of different species, in ten days and in the Kanto Safari Zone without being caught by the guardian. Beware, Kaisa has guns and can use them very well(4). You, Andreas James, are less lucky: you will capture a Pokemon belonging to Tyranitar evolutionary line in the Mount Silver Pokemon Preserve without be caught. Your enemies will be the Pokemons of the Preserve, the various Jennies, if I recall right there're two or three, the local Pokemon Ranger and the Pokemon G-Men, if you're unlucky enough. Now, Rose, this is your doom: go to Goldenrod City and took the badge of the Gym Leader. I hope your Pokemons know some Fighting-type move, because Norman(5) Ruby is a Normal-type specialist and very strong, perhaps the strongest of Jotho alongside Pryce. We chose him because Pryce is a bit paranoid and really mercyless, if you're caught by Pryce you're an high-quality crushed ice drink. Now you, Enrico Paolucci, lord of the worst luck of all times, there's your mission: you'll go to the Lake of Rage, pass the Gyaradoses' pack and defeat the leader of the pack. You'll recognize him from his red scales and the scars. If you retire now or during the mission, you'll be a mere B-rank agent but you'll be alive. If you'll die in the battle, you'll be awarded with a postume promotion. But if you have the favor of Arceus, Mew and some other Legendary and somehow manage to beat the leader and return alive, you'll be not only an A-rank, but if you'll manage to capture the Pokemon he'll be your and you will can chose your first partner between the unassigned A-rank agents. So? Are you crazy enough? Well, I advice you, prepare your last will. You have a week to prepare yourself and your party.''

After that Will departed, Rose asked me: ''Do you really want to attack that Gyarados?''

''Why not?'' I replied.

Rose dragged me in the arena and then said: ''Show me what your strongest Pokemon can do.''

I sent out Federico, she sent out Ditty. My plan was waiting for the Transformation and strike with Dynamic Punch during it. But I was forgetting a thing: the foe was Rose, not an ordinary trainer.

''Wrap.'' she ordered.

Ditty attacked Federico exactly with a Wrap. Exactly, Wrap: the amorphous Pokemon assumed a serpentine form and immediatly wrapped himself on Federico and then began to crush my Nidoking. Rose then laughed, saying: ''If you can't deal with this, how can you face a Gyarados in his element? Quit now, at least you'll survive!''

I didn't listened to her, and instead ordered a Thunder. The electric attack forced Ditty to retire, but before Federico and I can pursue it Transformed. And then Rose ordered: ''Let's try with the signature attack of Viridian Gym! Fissure!''

Federico managed to avoid the attack, but Ditty pursued with Surf. Rose was sure to win, but then we surprised her with Rock Climb, launching Ditty in its own Surf. Both Pokemon were caught in the water attack, but Federico somehow managed to not be fainted, and Ditty... Well, Ditty emerged from Federico's left ear in its normal form.

''It's enough.'' Rose said, recalling her Pokemon. ''Your Pokemon are thougher than I thought, I have to admit it, but are they though enough to go toe on toe with an high level Gyarados in his element?''

''We can do it.'' I answered. ''Right, boys?''

Federico confirmed, and Snyer popped out from his Ultraball to say his opinion.

''Er... Can somebody translate?'' Rose asked. ''I can't speak Sneasel's language...''

''Snyer said that a simple Gyarados will be easier to beat than your overaggressive Ditto, Meowth!'' Meowth translated while popping out from nowhere.

''KYAAAAAA!! A TALKING MEOWTH!!'' Rose screamed. For a moment I thought that she was scared. Then she said: ''What incredible money-bringer!! Organizing him a talk show I'll make millions! Wait... I can sell him for billions, on the black market... Or...''

''Hey! Meowth is not a nugget! I'm here as Will's assistent on order of the Boss, Meowth!''

''Damn...''

''By the way, what Gyarados were you talking about?''

Snyer explained him the case, and Meowth exclaimed: ''Don't worry, Meowth has the solution!''

''What solution?'' I asked.

''I'm also a move tutor, Meowth! Let me being with your Dragon for two hours and no Gyarados will be a problem. Obviously, you have to pay: the Boss didn't ordered me to help you, and some cash is always helpful...''  
''I have no Dragon Pokemon.''

''For now.'' Rose said. ''If I and your Seadra will be alone for a minute, you'll have a Kingdra. Obviosly, you have to pay. One hundred thousand, in cash, anticipated.''

'Who do you think I am, a millionaire?!''

''No, only the close-fisted son of one of the richest and most prodigal people in the world. Don't try to scam me, I know that you father give you ten thousand dollars weekly and that you never spent it.''

What? Yes, my father gived me so much money, plus extra money on some occasion. And I rarely spend money, while my sister become a real pothole everytime she see new fashioned clothing. At that time, I had accumulated a wealth of three billion dollars, partly thanks to Snyer who invested it in shares with unmatched talent (my father never understood who was the misterious businessman who never failed at the stock exchange). No, I wasn't yet one of the big share holders of Silph Co. Lucky enough, at the time they didn't know about this, so I payed much less than I would if they knew: to quote my sister, ignorance never pay.

After the event I trained for the remaining week, then I went to the Lake, preparing for the attack on the Gyarados. Just before embark on the motorboat (I wanted my Pokemon be fresh for the fight), a nearby girl asked: ''_Is it worthy?_''

I looked at the girl. While she was training an Eevee and was really cute, she was also immensly cold and scaring. I was about to ask her what she meant, but she said: ''_I have psychic power, and I'm much more powerful than that Will. Normally I don't read in the mind of the people without permission, but your Aura(6) is interesting. For the Aura, you can read some book, and for what I meant, you're looking for approvation from your father, not only for having a name for yourself. Yes, you can talk for yourself, I only wanted to speed up our conversation reading in your mind and talking with telepathy._''

Ignoring her manners, I said: ''Even if you're right on my reasons, the answer is yes.''

''If your recurrent nightmare is a memory, you're wrong.'' she replied, this time with her voice and using psycokynesis to prevent me from reply. ''But it's your life the one in danger, not mine. At least try to survive, your death would be an horrible waste. I was forgetting to present me: the name is Sabrina Blaustein(7), and I'm the future gym leader of Saffron City.''

Sabrina recalled her Eevee in the Pokeball and teleported herself away. Then, asking what she meant about my recurrent nightmare

footnotes

(1)A little homage to the character of Xelloss Metallium, from _Slayers_, and his catchphrase. While their characters are totally different, Xelloss and James have almost identical appearances (Xelloss hair is violet and his feline eyes are of the same color, but for the rest they're identical) and are both villains who sometimes help the good characters for their own sake (while Xelloss is far more successful), and in the Italian dub they share the same voice actor, Simone D'Andrea.

(2)The location of the 8th Pokemon movie, _Lucario and the Mistery of Mew_. Sir Aaron is a character of the movie who had a Lucario and a Pidgeot, and he's regarded as an hero in Cameron Kingdom.

(3)In Italian Giovanna is the female version of the name Giovanni, like Joanna and John in English.

(4)As seen in _Miniryu Densetsu_ (translation: _The Legend of Dratini_), banned outside Japan because the guns being a plotpoint. This is also the episode in wich Ash caught his 30 Tauroses, catching the first as entered in the Safari Zone and then catching the other 29 when they ran in front of the Safari Balls throwed to Rhyhorns, Rhydons, Nidorinos, Nidorinas and other Pokemons.

(5)Yes, Norman, the father of May and Max. For now, he's Goldenrod Gym Leader, because in _Ruby and Sapphire_ he's stated to be from Jotho. Whitney for now is a mere Gym trainer.

(6)In the _Pokemon_ franchise Aura is a form of spiritual energy possessed by all living creatures first clearly introduced in the game _Pokemon Colusseum_. Manipulating someone else's Aura is possible to alter the ability and the mind of the manipulated (as seen in the games _Pokemon Colusseum_ and _Pokemon XD: Gale of Darkness_ and in the movie _Pokemon 4ever_), and manipulating its own Aura a Pokemon can use various powerful moves like Aura Sphere, Focus Blast, Dragon Pulse and Dark Pulse, and it's implied (while not explictly stated) that Detect is based on. Amongst the Pokemon, Lucario is THE Aura sensitive, able to learn all Aura-based moves. Using Aura it's also possible to see normally invisible things and seal Pokemon (in the eighth movie a Lucario was sealed in a staff by the Aura Guardian sir Aaron, and in both the games and the anime a Spiritomb was sealed in the Odd Keystone). In the anime, Ash is the only living human known to be sensitive to the Aura (in the past lived various Aura Guardians, but the only two known died centuries before the anime and apparently the Aura Guardians are extinct), and thanks to this he and Lucario were able to save the Tree of Beginning in _Lucario and the Mistery of Mew_ and then Ash was able to reseal a Spiritomb, and this may also be the cause Ash was able to activate the power of the treasure balls in _The Power of One_.

(7)Yes, the Adam from the first chapter was Sabrina's father, and now his cold daughter appeared. She's not yet split enough to materialize the other self, but the child-like Sabrina will appear in the future.


	4. Chapter 4

The big battle against the Red Gyarados shall begin. Now.

by lord Martiya

**TALE 04: VS SHINY GYARADOS**

I arrived in the center of the lake, where a bunch of Gyaradoses was resting. A Gyarados immediatly attacked me with Bite, destroying my boat, but thanks to my training I dodged the attack and jumped on his head.

''You're very rude.'' I said, unleashing Snyer on him. ''Snyer, freeze his assets.''

Snyer froze the Gyarados with Ice Beam. I suppose that Gyarados just evolved, normally a Pokemon like him is not defeatble so easily. However, using the frozen Gyarados as a platform I called and Ambrosio and shouted: ''Leader of the bunch, I challenge you to fight! Show yourself, if you dare!'', hoping that only him reacted.

My hopes were immediatly crushed: the entire bunch charged at me in rage, trying to eat me. Luckily, I was prepared. Maybe I should say that Ambrosio was prepared: thanks to Rose he evolved in Kingdra, and thanks to Meowth he learned the right move for the occasion: Draco Meteor. Text books describe Draco Meteor as a mass destruction move, but I believed it an exageration. I was so wrong that I almost got to be killed. How? HOW?! **HOW, HE ASKED! HOW!! H...**

...

...

...

...

Anto', the next time you knock me out you'll taste Rui(1)'s cooking. I'm serious.

Well, president Goodshow(2), you asked me how Draco Meteor nearly killed me. Well, that move summons meteors(3) from the sky, and even the minuscole ones(4) summoned from the move had an incredible destructive power. That Meowth knows a lot of terrible thing... Luckily for the rest of the world, he can't use these things. While I was understanding what is the Draco Meteor, the SURVIVED Gyaradoses escaped in fear.

''Uh? Was the target disintegrated?'' I wondered when I finally realized what is the Draco Meteor.

I recalled Ambrosio and called out Federico to search for the body of the Red Gyarados, but then he emerged, revealing even being extremely large and ranting because I interrupted him. Snyer laughed, and the Gyarados 'shouted' that he was only eating and attacked us with Hydro Pump. A bad and predictable move: as I planned, Snyer blocked the Hydro Pump frozing it with Ice Beam, and while the Gyarados trashed around for the pain (can you imagine how much painful is have the mouth blocked while you are expelling water at high pressure? I can't, but apparently is VERY painful) Federico attacked him with a powerful Thunder. I throwed an Ultraball and hit the Gyarados, but he struggled and destroyed the ball, exiting with his mouth free. While dodging his Dragon Rage, I finally understood why Will said that I couldn't win. After the Dragon Rage, he began to perform a Dragon Dance. He believed that the waves caused by his dance would prevent attacks against him, but he was wrong: I ordered a Zap Cannon from Federico, and the attack hit, damaging and paralizing him. But in face of the paralisys, he Bited. Or, better, he tried to Bite, but I was little enough to enter in the mouth without be destroyed.

I managed to grap his palate and not be swallowed, and then I called out Eugenio and Aureliano.

''Now, guys, we need to exit immediatly.'' I said. ''Act at my order. Eugenio, Giga Impact on that thoots. Aureliano, Steel Wing high. NOW!!''

The double hit forced him to open the mouth, and after exiting with my Pokemons, and while Snyer and Federico were attacking respectively with Blizzard and a poin-blank Earthquake (given not on the inexistent terrain but directly on the back of the giant, scarred Shiny Gyarados), I throwed the Ultraball. That time, I succeded. No, we succeded, without my Pokemon I would be eaten. We saw the face of the Death, but we survived and won.

I recalled Snyer and went on Federico's back to return on the land, but then the Gyaradoses returned to kill me. To make the thing worse, the Red Gyarados popped out, tired but yet strong. I was fearing death, but then the Red Gyarados ordered the pack away: he accepted the loss and the capture, so I had a new Pokemon, who I later nicknamed Raimondo. I returned to the land riding on him, and stunning all the people who was expecting my body. Arrived at land, I recalled all my Pokemon and saw principal Karen relieved, an overexcited Meowth, Will, who was noting down that I succeded, and Rose, who, in her new A-rank uniform, ran to me. And punched me.

''You idiot!'' she shouted. ''You made worry!''

She turned away and was about to left, but then immediatly punched me again.

''See, the thing that I value most is my indipendence, even sentimentally. But, apparently, you managed to win my friendship, this is why I just punched you again.'' she said. Then she kissed me on my cheek and said: ''And this was because you returned alive.''

A few day later Domino and Andreas returned, the first with 10 Pokemon (a Dratini, a Dragonair, a Lickitung, a Lickilicky, a Shiny Tauros, an Happiny, a Chansey, a Blissey, a Kangaskhan and a Exxegcute), the second with a Tyranitar somehow lured in enter a TRBall. Both of them received a punch for having won Rose's friendship. After that she offered us a dinner in a restaurant to celebrate our promotions. An once-in-a-life event.

We just sit when a waiter approached our table and gived us exactly what we wanted to eat.

''Hey, what's happening?'' Domino (maskless, that time) asked.

''Those two girls offer you this.'' the waiter replied.

He pointed a table, where Sabrina and another scary girl (one with emotions) were finishing their dinner.

''Oh, not again...'' I commented.

''Do you know them?'' Rose asked.

''Only the emotionless one. She's named Sabrina, and I met her just before my test.''

A book and a pair of gloves appeared before me. I turned to Sabrina and her friend, but they were disappeared. I picked up the book and found in it a paper with these words:

_This will help you to reach your full potential. Read it carefully and think about your life bofore our paths cross again, or you will suffer._

_Signed_

_S. and D._

footnotes

(1)Character from _Pokemon Colusseum_. She's an Aura sensitive, and helps the main character Wes in identify Shadow Pokemon to snag and purify them. Her cooking 'ability' is my own invention

(2)Yes, Enrico is telling his tales to Charles Goodshow, president of the Pokemon League.

(3)Well, the description in the games tells 'comets', but we can forgive the error to our main character...

(4)If you don't know, the meteor of the Tunguska Event, an explosion of power between 10 and 15 megatons (powerful enough to devastate an area of 2150 square km), was a 30 meters wide rock traveling at 15 km/s. This is why the comets summoned are minuscole (bigger ones would destroy the lake).


	5. Chapter 5

I wrote this chapter while listening to _Friend or Foe_, from T.A.T.U.

by lord Martiya

**TALE 05: VS WARTORTLE**

That period was maybe the happier of my life, but it was even the worst one, the one in who I recorded various thiefts and Pokemon poaching. But I was happy: for the first time in my life, I had friends to help and be helped, play and fight with, and we were quickly promoted to S-rank Agents, just a step before the Executives ranks. Then, arrived the day. Rose and I operated yet from the Academy, and my father was visiting it. With Meowth now goofy and distracted by the antistress Persian.

"What I have to do with him?!" my father ranted, while Rose, I, the principal and Viper were in briefing with him and after that Meowth dropped five very hot coffees on his head and ran away apologizing. "Well, I hope that there's no problem with the trainees."

"Well, there's one little problem..." Viper admitted.

_"MA SANTO CIELO_(1), WHAT'S HAPPENED?! A REVOLT?!"

"Er..."

"A very talented trainee, Jesse Clyde, is totally unable to learn teamwork..." the principal explained.

"How much unable?" my father asked.

"As much a girl dumped monthly for a year can be." I answered.

"Wow! Now I understand why she gone throug twelve partners..." Rose exclaimed.

"Sigh... Sack her." my father ordered. "Or there's another chance?"

"Well, the other top contender of the Red Team, James O'Brien(2), made all his partner faint from exaustion(3), I thinked that he and Jesse can go along..." Viper said.

"And why you didn't do?"

"We did it, but we also need a Pokemon who could go with those two overactive people!"

"Meowth." I suggested. "He need some gymnastic, but he can go with those two."

"But why a Meowth?" the principal asked.

"THE Meowth. The talking one."

Karen and Viper looked at me like I was an alien, but my father said: "Do it. At least he won't burn me anymore, and he may also take them as his henchmen(4). Anything else?"

"No, sir." the principal answered.

"Good. Karen, Viper, you're dismissed."

After the exit of the principal and the drill seargent, my father asked: "Do you know about Aura?"

"Aura is a form of energy p..." I began, but my father interrupted me.

"Good, you know. Folk tales say that some humans are sensitive to Aura too, expecially the one born in some place like Viridian Forest or the Dragon's Den near Blackthorn City, but I never seen evidence. However, Lucario has a total sensitivity to Aura, like some Riolu. Normally Riolus are less sensitive than Lucarios, but I known as sure that in Cerulean Cave there's a Shiny one able to use Aura Sphere(5). You'll capture him."

"Yes, sir." I answered.

"May us know why Team Rocket didn't captured him yet?" Rose asked.

"Lance." my father answered. "At the moment Lance is in Candraca and won't interfere, but he left a girl of his clan and her boyfriend, and they're a bit though, so be cautious."

We went to Cerulean Cave, and managed to pass the guards without problems. After entering, we heard a girl talking to the Pokegear with somebody, and telling him the reason because she didn't bring her Pokemons to Orre (I discovered this some time after): "Yes, uncle Lance sent me to Orre without my Pokemons simply for an innocent pratical joke to auntie Clair! Only for a simple putting of firecrackers on her chair(6)... Oh, now I have to leave, there are two intruders..."

We then heard the rumor of a Pokeball releasing a Pokemon and the command: "Blast Burn in that direction!!", and, turning to them, I somehow saw a Charizard charging the attack at us** THROUGH THE ROCKS**. I immediatly dived in a nearby channel taking Rose with me, just in time to escape being incinerated by the Blast Burn. The rocky terrain, instead, melted, and the water partly evaporated. Then, the trainer of the Charizard shouted: "Intruders, come out of the water! I know you're alive! I'm Rui(7) of the Dragon Clan, and I'm also a Pokemon G-Woman! Surrender now or prepare to fight!"

We emerged from the water, and I replied: "We are two against one, you are the one who have to surrender."

"But my knight in shining armour is coming." she replied, smiling.

"DITTY, STRANGLE THAT CHARIZARD!!" Rose ordered, completely mad.

Rose's right glove retransformed in Ditty and attacked the Charizard, while Rose barked: "Get that here she used a word that you don't need to know Riolu, I will deal with this pesky girl!!"

I followed the order, not wanting to mess with a mad Rose, and instinctively come near the Riolu. And an heavily customized Harley-Pokeson Softail hovering motorcycle(8) near-missed me. The biker cursed for the miss, then said: "Rocket, surrender now to Wes(9)."

My answer was releasing Snyer and Federico, to which he replied releasing his Espeon and his Umbreon. We battled for a while with nobody gaining the upper hand, his Espeon unable to get a psychic strike on Federico (all Psychics and Psybeams striked Snyer) and Federico unable to use his powerful Earth-type(10) attacks. You know, a Gym can resist an Earthquake attack without problem(11), and Viridian's Gym can even resist some Fissure in a row without noticeable damage, but a cave... This was the reason because I did the thing that I regret the most.

"Wes, surrender now or I'll do a thing that I don't want to do!" I ordered.

"Do it." Wes replied.

"Federico, destroy the hoverbik..."

"I SURRENDER! I SURRENDER!!"

You know, a real biker REALLY loves his motorcycle, and Wes is a famous one. So, he recalled his Pokemons and even knocked out himself to save his bike. I really regret that bluff... What?! It's OBVIOUS that I wouldn't really destroy a motorbike! I'm a biker, too, with a lightly customized Dogati Hypermotard S(12) with an added sidecar, and even MENACING to destroy a motorbike it's... It's... I don't know the words... And during the battle Wes went away from his one to protect it from a stray attack.

However, I managed to defeat him, and I even knocked out the Riolu: he watched the battle, and for some reason its result nearly suffucated him with laughs. I was about to catch him with a TRBall when a Pokeball catched it. I turned in the direction, and then I narrowly dodged a Skull Bashing-Wartortle who received orders from his trainer with a radio.

_"Ostrega_(13), that damned Blue Leaf..." I commented.

Uh? Well, from a few months various TR missions were thwarted by a radio commanded-Wartortle who every time leaved a blue leaf in exchange for the Pokemons of the TR member. Group of less of ten Grunts and single pairs of B-rank and A-rank agents had the order to escape on sight. And I was attacked from that danger. My reaction? Two words: "Federico, Thunder!"

Yes, I counterattacked, wanting to rid the world from that menace to Team Rocket. The Wartortle used Dig and evaded the attack, and then tried to counterattack, only to be blocked by Federico who catched his head. Federico was preparing to Thunder him, but the Wartortle began to rotate and then used Hydro Pump. You know, a point-blank Hydro Pump from a fresh and strong Wartortle on a very tired Nidoking it's an immediate KO, and Federico was no exception. But the Wartortle paid for that hit: Federico managed to discharge on him the incomplete Thunder, hitting him very harshly.

I carried various Snagball and tried to capture him, but the Wartortle repelled my attempt with his Water Gun. Then I decided to attack him with Snyer and his Dark Pulse (my favourite, at the time), but the Wartortle evaded with his Protect. Then began a fierce exchange of strikes, and after a while the Wartortle seemed to prevail. I was about to recall Snyer and sending Raimondo, when Snyer surprised me and the enemy with a Razor Wind(14). The attack damaged the Wartortle and cutted his radio, stopping his trainer to send orders. I believed to have captured at least the Wartortle. I was so wrong...

Why? Do you know why Cerulean Cave collapsed? Because that Wartortle, after reviving Wes with his Water Gun, used Rock Smash on the main pillar to cover his retreat. I only had the time to shout 'blasting off' in my radio before running away for my life.

After exiting I observed the remains of the cave, wondering if Rose made it, when she, fresh as a rose, appeared at my back asking if I succeeded.

"I encountered Blue Leaf." I answered.

"You what?" she replied.

"Why do you think the cave collapsed? The Blue Leaf Wartortle smashed the wrong pillar to cover his retreat. I don't know who's the Blue Leaf, but he's reckless as you. What about you?"

"I obviously won. Now tell me something: how you managed to see that Charizard through the rock?"

"You won't tell it to anybody. You can tell why, but not what."

"Uh?"

"My mother had her labour pain outside Viridian City, and failed to reach the city. So, she gave me birth in Viridian Forest."

"Are you t..."

"I'm sensitive to Aura. I'm not very expert, so for now I can barely see shapes through walls, but I'm a sensitive."

"Oh... Wait, do the boss know this?"

"Obviously, not. I don't want to be a guinea-pig."

"Well, if this is the trust that you have in your father, why did you joined Team Rocket?"

"I only want to be the strongest of all, and this is a very good way. A way that my father offered to me so I can take over his organization, but I don't care, I care only to become strong and pay him working for him."

"And for the future?"  
"Who knows?"

footnotes

(1)Literal translation from Italian: Holy Sky. I chose an Italian curse (a weak one) to remain in his 'Italian Mafia' theme begun with the U.S. release of _Pokemon Red & Blue_.

(2)This surname is an homage to Paddy O'Brien, a character in the novel _Il Re del Mare_ (_King of the Sea_ in the English language release), by Emilio Salgari. Paddy O'Brien, self-appointed 'Demon of the War', is a mad scientist who went to Sandokan and joined his vengeful cruise with the promise of make explode the gun magazines of the British ships. In the final battle of the novel, Sandokan give him the chance of do this, and he manage to destroy one of the five enemy ironclads before being killed by a shrapnel who destroyed his machine.

(3)In _Training Daze_ wasn't explained why James was partnerless, so I invented something basing on his first appearances.  
(4)Giovanni is really prophetic: in the first episodes, Meowth was the boss of Jesse and James, giving them orders and costantly remembering them that he was the Top Cat.

(5)I admit, I got the idea from the double episode celebrating the release of _Pokemon Ranger Batonnage_.

(6)Donald Duck's nephews did exactly this joke to their father, and they were sent to the brother of their mother, Donald Duck.

(7)Yes, this is the same Rui from _Pokemon Colosseum_. With Pokemons on her own, finally.

(8)Little homage to the famous Harley-Davidson Softail. You know, Wes's hoverbike reminds to me to a motorbike with a softail frame...

(9)And this is the same Wes from _Pokemon Colosseum_, with a team composed of his Eevolutions and some of his snagged Pokemons.

(10)I know, it's supposed to be Ground-type, but sometimes Enrico and other Viridian's Gym-related characters will say Earth-type.

(11)See first chapter.

(12)Another motorcycle homage, this time to the Ducati Hypermotard S.

(13)Another Italian weak curse, this time a Venician one. It's one of my two favourites.

(14)I know, Sneasel is not supposed to be able to use Razor Wind, and this is why Enrico, the Wartortle and his trainers are surprised. BTW, Razor Wind's original name is Kamaitachi, a misterious and legendary cutting fenomenon alleged to happen sometimes on Japanese mountains and sometimes attributed to weasel-like beings, beings who inspired the creation of Sneasel and Weavile, and this is why at least one Sneasel in this story had to use that move.


	6. Chapter 6

In the last chapter I told you about the song I listened while I was writing it. It was a guess about the Blue Leaf for you, I use songs as inspiration. If I write something about _Sailor Moon_ I'll listen something from the anime's soundtrack or from the one of _Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon_ (the live action). If I write something about _Saint Seiya_, I'll do it listening _Pegasus Fantasy_. Now, what's _Friend or Foe_ subject?

by lord Martiya

**TALE 06: VS DRAGONITE**

Some time after the Riolu hunt my father decided to show the strenght of Team Rocket and force the World Governement to give in the battle against him. Yes, I'm talking about the Team Rocket's Battle of Saffron.

The goal was simple: capture Kanto governement, the (then) official gym and the Sabrina's one, steal every single Pokemon in the city and strip of everything the Silph Co. A such strike would create terror, making every people bow before Team Rocket might, and bring to TR a lot of strong Pokemons and resources. The only drawback were that it required so much people that a failure could cripple Team Rocket for years and that it would create so much destruction to make doubtful various people, like Andreas.

"Why so much destruction?!" he shouted while the four of us were alone. "And killings! And possible casualties! It's like a war! POKEMONS ARE NO WEAPONS!"

"Indeed, Pokemons were often used as weapons even in open battles(1), before the Mother of All Wars..." Domino replied. When she saw us glaring at her, she said: "It's the sad truth: a well-trained Pokemon IS a weapon, inferior only in respect of the forbidden devices and, sometimes, the mightiests of the airships. And I'm talking about non-legendary and non-Elite Four Pokemons: some legendaries, like Mew or Rayquaza, have firepower in excess of the biggest forbidden device, and Elite Four Pokemons... Well, time ago I saw Lances Dragonite do practice with his Hyper Beam, and the explosion was a lot more powerful than the one originally supposed for the Tsar Bomba(2)."

We remained speechless. Then she said: "But if you are telling us that using Pokemons as weapons of terror is wrong, I can buy it. Sadly, you're not the boss, nor I am, so we will obey. Now, I'll prepare myself for the battle, and I'll suggest you to do the same: Saffron City is not a normal city. Goodbye."

Domino went away, and Rose said: "Sometimes that girl scare me..."

"She's totally crazy." I answered. "But she's right, we have a job to do and we'll do it."

I went away also, losing a chanche to not make myself suffer.

Some day after, Team Rocket acted. Now, you know, Saffron City was fortified in the immediate prelude of the Mother of All Wars, and, seeing how they managed to defeat the Dragon's Clan and its Dragonites during the First Battle of Saffron and to hold on the fury of four World Governement airships and a lot of mechas and tanks before capitulate in the Second Battle, the fortifications were even powered-up by Teleport-blocking devices after the Unification. So, we couldn't use the Teleport tactic that gave the victory to the Governement, and a direct assault with Pokemons, armours, air support and artillery was not an option because of the incredible thoughness of the fortifications and the numbers of defensive and AA artillery. And this is where I came in the plan: my father resuscitated the old mining tactics of the siege warfare.

Mining warfare consists in dugging a tunnel under the enemy fortifications using wooden pillars to substain it, and then make the tunnel collapse with the fortifications by burning the pillars(3). We didn't have the time to dig an adequately big tunnel, but we had various Fissure-capable Pokemons, like Federico, who could obtain the same effect in much less time.

I was the leader of a platoon of the first wave, and I was bounded in open a hole with repeated Fissures. After reaching the position, I began to wait the moment of the attack, when a childish voice asked if we wanted to play.

The voice came from a small and cute girl about 5-6 years old dressed like an old china-made doll holding a Pokeball. A very scaring girl, for me. Why? Because I perfected enough in the Aura to recognize a solid psychic projection, and the child was solid enough to came from an incredibly powerful psychic.

The Grunt nearest the child was not so gifted, and before I tried to warn them of the real nature of the girl he tried to kick her. I ducked, and I was the only one spared by the Psybeam. While sixty Grunts were incapacitated by the blow, the girl and a familiar voice said: "You dared to attack our child part. You shall pay for this, playing bowling as the skittles. Your leader shall be spared for not wanting to attack us, but shall not be spared for not listening to us."

I looked at the girl, seeing her, an Espeon and a mad Sabrina. Yes, Sabrina Blaustein. She told me something that I'll never forget: "Your attack is failed before beginning: Pokemon G-Men had a spy in Team Rocket, the Blue Leaf. She wanted to spare you and offer the chanche to desert Team Rocket, but you managed to avoid her. Now, as I predicted, you shall suffer."

I grabbed Snyer's Ultraball, but before unleashing him Sabrina teleported me away in a ruined fortress. At some meters over the ground: the child Sabrina made it as a joke.

"Damn... Where am I?" I said, totally surprised.

"Over me, Enrico." Rose answered.

Only then I realized that I falled over a saddened Rose. And a Wartortle. Before that I could realize who's that Wartortle, Rose said: "I have a thing to admit to you. I'm sorry, but..."

Then I realized, and I shouted: "BLUE LEAF?!"

She simply nodded. And I ran Gyarados(4) over Rose, while her Wartortle was blocked by her body. I was strangling her, when I received a blow who made me leaving the hold, return sane, even if still mad, and fly various meters. When I looked I saw a Dragonite covering his trainer and Rose.

"You will obtain nothing with anger." the trainer said. "Pacify yourself and listen to your friend, please."

I released Eugenio and ordered a Slash, but he repelled by a Barrier before landing the blow. I was too mad to understand who was my opponent(5). I then ordered a Brick Break, but the Dragonite blocked the attack with his hands, and then launched Eugenio at me.

"Pacify yourself, please." the trainer repeated.

I recalled Eugenio, trying to catch him by surprise, but he said: "I can feel your emotions, don't be a cheapshot."

With my trick uncovered, I released Federico and Snyer to try a combined Brick Break-Dark Pulse attack on the Dragonite, but he moved so fast to seem teleporting and repelld my Pokemons with another Barrier.

"Pacify yourself, you can't win." he said.

I released all my Pokemon and ordered a Beat Up.

"Well, you asked for this." the trainer said. "Barrier, and then Outrage."  
I trained my Pokemon for such situations, so only five of them partecipated in the Beat Up: Eugenio was bounded in breaking the Protect with Brick Break. My other five Pokemon delivered the blow. I believed to have win. Then all my Pokemons were defeated by the Outrage of the Dragonite.

"Good job. Now, return." the trainer ordered to his Pokemon. Then he said: "Crap, too late."

Yes, the Dragonite avoided being recalled and tried to burn me to death with a Fire Blast. It's what happen when you order an Outrage and the Pokemon begin to rampage before you manage to recall him...

I was immobilized by fear, fear of that incredible power, and I would die if Rose didn't shielded me with her body and her Wartortle didn't defended us with an Hydro Pump. I came uninjuried, but the hot steam made by the clash between the Hydro Pump and the Fire Blast painfully hit Rose, making her scream. Then I passed out.

I don't know when I revived myself, even if it was in the same day. When I woke up, I saw Rose caring for me despite being injuried herself.

"What are you doing?" I asked.

"Isn't it obvious? I was expecting a 'thank you' for this..." she replied.

"After you betrayed Team Rocket?"

"I didn't betrayed Team Rocket, I infiltrated it. But I betrayed you. I'm sorry. I wanted you to desert in this occasion... Can't you come with me?"

"Nope."

After she sighed, I asked: "Was Rui serious in trying to kill us?"

"I was supposed to grab you under water, but you anticipated me." she answered.

"Why do you infiltrated TR?"

"To destroy it. Giovanni, your father, wants to take over the world, and I cannot let him succeed."

"Why?"  
"A little tip: search for Mewtwo in the computers."

"It's a character of a book!"

"I hope. Are you sure that you don't want to come with me? Like A.J..."

"I want strenght, not..."

"What a pity... Because you're very talented." a voice said.

I turned to the voice, seeing Lance. And finally understanding who just beated me.

"If you cared a bit more of Pokemon and a bit less of being invincible, you could be stronger." Lance said. "But it's your own choiche. If you're wondering what's happening at Saffron, well, using Rose's we ambushed various TR units with the help of the various Gym Leaders and their territory's trainers. Team Rocket's myth of invincibility begin to shatter. Goodbye, young trainer, and welcome to your home, where all this mess began."

Lance jumped on his Aerodactyl and flew away. I began to search in the ruins, trying to understand what Lance told me, and then I found a very old TR hat and a portrait of my father when he was young. In the portrait were present a woman very similar to an older version of Jesse and dressed in a customized TR uniform, a girl almost identical to my sister and various other people, specially a woman who somehow looked familiar and a girl who looked alike Rose. Rose pointed the woman and asked: "Are you wondring why you find her familiar? Well, according to my mother, she was your grandmother. And this girl is my mother."

Rose pointed the girl who looked alike her, then released Fairy, kissed me, ON THE CHEEK, YOU OLD PIG LEAGUE BOSS!, and teleported away, leaving me wondering what's happened in that place, the famous ruins of Viridian Forest.

I decided to rejoin my fellow Rockets, and I was assigned to the Celadon City base, where I met Domino. Domino was the one who told me that even Will was a mole and that he managed to make principal Karen a deserter and arrested Viper.

When my Pokemon were cured and returned to me, Rose asked me: "Who beated you? 'Silver Bullet' Ketchum?"

"Lance of the Dragon Clan." I answered. "With only his Dragonite."

"Oh... Did he used Barrier?"

"Yes, why?"

"Because he only use that move with strong enemies, with weak ones he don't even try to defend or evade, he simply absorb the attack without damage."

"Domino, do you know something about Mewtwo? A real one?"

"I was expecting this."

She bringed me and my Pokemons (she suggested me to make then exit from their Pokeballs) to a laboratory in the base and showed me various data on the computers. The data of Project Mewtwo, with various disgusting experiments on Pokemon and a failed Mewtwo who Transformed in a Pichu and blocked himself in that form, even forgetting that he was supposed to be a Mew clone. Seeing all of that, I vomited.

"My same reaction, you know?" Domino said while offering me a paper to clean me. "This is the reason I want to be the Boss, stop all of this. Then I could conquer the world, or something else... And I know, I'm totally crazy! But my beauty is also in this."

I and Snyer exchanged a shocked look, then I recalled my other Pokemon and exited the lab. To face the admin Vicious and another Domino.

footnotes

(1)See _Lucario and the Mistery of Mew_: in the beginning are shown two armies augmented by Aggrons, Rhydons and other massive Pokemons. One of the two even used Houndooms in patrol role.

(2)Little real-world link: the Tsar Bomba was an hydrogen bomb with a yield of 50 megatons, detonated to show the capabilities of Soviet Union's military technology. The bomb was originally designed to have a yield of 100 megatons, but was reduced to half to cut the fall-out. Now, if Lance's Dragonite Hyper Beam has a yield in excess of ONE HUNDRED MEGATONS... Hey, don't run away, Domino made a mistake in the yield calculation, that Dragonite is much less powerful! Even if the explosion of his Hyper Beam is really big...

(3)Real-world tactic of the siege warfare. This tactic was re-adapted twice for trench warfare using dynamite to collapse the tunnel, first during the American Civil War by general McLellal of the Union at , failing for lacking of co-ordination (the mine opened a huge gap in Confederated defence, but the attack came after one half-hour, when the Confederated troops had managed to bring troops and transforming the gap in a prepared killing zone), and then in the First World War at by the British troops, with success.

(4)For people who speak English as first language: read 'running Gyarados' as 'running Amok'. For people who don't speak English as first language: 'running Gyarados' is a Pokemon version of 'running Amok', an expression meaning 'going totally mad and insane trying to kill everyone in sight'.

(5)In the games there's a Dragonite who can use Barrier. If you can remember who's the trainer, you can guess who's this misterious trainer.


	7. Chapter 7

This is the darkest chapter, so far. So far.

by lord Martiya

**TALE 07: VS DARKRAI**

When I saw the second Domino, for just a second I thought that she was a ninja able to duplicate (if you knew her, you would think the same in that situation), then I recognized the situation: there was an impostress(1). A very able one: able to imitate not only appearance but even mannerism, walking, voice and smell, the latter thanks to a very generous amount of the expensive Erika's Fragrance(2) that Domino aboundantly used.

"Hey, who in the heck are you?!" the Dominos said pointing each other. "Stop imitating me, you impostor!! I'm the Black Tulip of Team Rocket, and I'll NEVER forgive you!!"

The two Dominos glared to each other and were about to start a catfight when the Vicious' one saw me and said: "Crap..."

That Domino understood that I was able to tell that she was the fake, so recalled her Ditto disguise, revealing herself as Rose, and tried to run away, but collapsed after some step.

"What's happening?" Vicious asked.

"Obviously, the Blue Leaf just tricked you, sir." Domino answered. "The question should be what's happened to HER..."

In the meanwhile I reached Rose, and, after tooking her Pokeballs, I was able to answer to Domino: "She's starving: it looks like she didn't eat for days, and she's even dehydrated."

"Are you joking? Rose?" Domino asked.

"Look by yourself."

Domino looked at her, or, better, at the shadow of the former Rose, then at me and made a little laughter.

"Take her in that lab." Vicious ordered.

We took her in the lab, and then I tied her at a chair. Then Vicious revived her.

"Now you shall tell us what are you doing here." he ordered.

"I'm sitting on a chair, can't you see it?" she answered emotionlessly.

"Don't make me mad, or you'll be killed."

"Whatever..."

"I knew it!" Domino exclaimed.

All of us looked at her, and she explained: "She wants to die, because she cannot forgive herself for betray you, Enrico. How romantic..."

"Crazy girl..." I said.

"Shut up, you! I want her to talk!" Vicious ordered.

"Can't you tell that you won't obtain nothing from her?" Domino asked. "She don't care of anything anymore, you can't break her will because she has no more something to break."

"You don't need to know how I'll break her, you're too young. G..."

"Raping?" I asked.

Living my life I had to know various disgusting things even from when I was five, and that was one of those things. Domino was more lucky, so she knew the meaning of 'raping' only after looking on the dictionary. And, that time, Vicious made the worst error of his life: he nodded.

"Snyer, kill him." I ordered.

Vicious turned on me, astonished by my order, and then he was first hit by a Fury Cutter on his infamous armour and then Slashed in his chest. During this act I called out Federico to make Domino KO, but she jumped backwards with one of her Black Tulips. And tripped on an empty Pokeball, and, in the end, was electrocuted to fainting by her own tulip. She still tell that she didn't tripped willingly...

Due its nature, that lab has no surveillance cameras, so no alarm ringed while I was freeing Rose.

"Thank you." she told me, very tired.

"Don't thank, I'm still mad at you." I replied. "Why did you reduced yourself in this manner?!"

"Didn't you heard Domino?"

That was the only time in my life that I hit her head for saying something stupid or annoying.

"Hey, why did you hit me?!" she shouted.

"For the same reason I'm mad at you: this stupid acting from you." I answered. "If I learned something from you, that's living for my own sake and the one of my Pokemons, not for the sake of someone else."

"Mpf... You're right. But it's your fault. I wanted to have no important people outside my family, and you stepped in, cutie. But what's this lab?"

"Didn't you come here for this?"  
"I came here to steal a little thing, but the Crusader wanted to show me this..."

I pointed the Pichu and said: "That's a Mewtwo. A failed one."

Rose grinned, then slowly stepped up and catched the Pichu with a Pokeball, saying: "This would be funny..."

"At least it seems that you are yourself again." I commented.

After placing explosives in the lab and moving Domino and Vicious (who carried her 'signature') in a secure place, Rose recalled out Ditty and disguised again herself as Domino, then said: "Come with me, we have a little work to do."

Before I could object, Rose went away in the garage, and I followed her. There, we found Cassidy and a scared Butch, at the time second-class agents, and Rose asked: "Are you the ones with the Snag Machines from Orre?"

"Yes, ma'am!" Cassidy replied.

"It appears that the intelligent people were busy... Whatever, give it t..."

"PREPARE FOR TROUBLE, YOU IN DISGUISE!"

"AND MAKE IT DOUBLE, WITH FEAR ON YOUR FACE!"

"TO PROTECT THE WORLD OF DEVASTATION!"

"TO UNITE ALL PEOPLE WITHIN OUR NATION!"

"TO DENOUNCE THE EVIL OF TRUTH AND LOVE!"

"TO EXTEND OUR REACH TO THE STARS ABOVE!"

"JESSE!"

"JAMES!"

"TEAM ROCKET BLAST OFF AT THE SPEED OF LIGHT!"

"SURRENDER NOW, OR PREPARE TO FIGHT!"

"MEOWTH! THAT'S RIGHT!"

"How embarassing..." Rose commented, trying to maintain her Domino's disguise and looking at Jesse&James& Meowth. "What's wrong with you?!"

"Show respect, I'm the Top Cat!" Meowth replied. "And don't believe that you can fool us, we're masters of disguise! Henchmen, show the proof!"

Jesse revealed herself to be James, and James revealed to be Jesse. The trick shocked every people besides me (I managed to see throught their disguise, thanks to the Aura), even Ditty, who reprised his normal 'form' and unwillingly revealed Rose's disguise, shocking again the presents. Then Rose blowed up the lab, who happened to be exactly behind Jesse&James&Meowth, who were blasted off. In the meanwhile, Snyer snagged the Snag Machines and the related blueprints, while I unleashed Eugenio's fury on the present Grunts. With Rose's target, I recalled my Pokemon, and escaped with Rose thanks to Fairy's Teleport.

We were in a forest, and there we saw a shadow.

"What's that?" Rose asked.

"I don't know." I answered.

_"You should."_ a very familiar voice said.

I turned around, seeing an unknown Pokemon.

"Who are you? And why I hear your voice in my nightmares?!" I shouted.

"Because he causes them." Rose said, very seriously and freeing all her party. "Darkrai create nightmares."

_"Sadly, that's my Ability."_ he confirmed. "_But I'm not the cause, I only sensed your recurrent nightmare, a very good and totally free meal, for me."_

"There's nothing totally free." I replied, freeing my own party.

"_I tried to pay warning you about the origin of your nightmare, but... Oh, well, let's pay. _**DARK VOID!**_"_

An istant after that, all of us were in the total darkness. And Rose was now in perfect health, and perfectly worried.

"Why are you worried? You're healthy, now!" I said.

"Because we're asleep, thanks to Darkrai's Dark Void attack." she replied, looking for Darkrai.

Darkrai appeared directly in front of her, then pointed another direction and said: _"You shold look at that scene. You're not obligated, but your friend is."_

I looked in that direction, where I began to see light, and then a room.

"That's my sister's room!" I exclaimed. "And... Oh, my Arceus... IT'S MY NIGHTMARE!!"

_"And it's even a memory."_ Darkrai said. _"Your very first memory, I suppose."_

There was my younger and baby self in my cradle, with my big sister in hers and, as I realized who she was, my mother telling us a fairy tale. Then my father stepped in and told her to stop, because we'll grow weaker. She replied that strenght isn't everything and that she wanted us grow as good and great people, not strong ones. My father ordered her to not dare to reply him. And he... Well... He slapped her on the ground. And... Well, I suppose that the little brother I later discovered to have was conceived that night...

I would vomited if I was awake, but I wasn't.

_"Now, I payed for all those meals."_ Darkrai said. _"Actually, I payed more than I owed you, so you'll remain here for a while in feeding me."_

Force me. I coldly replied.

_"I'm not the one who have to forc..."_

Then he was interrupted by a giant mallet hitting his head hardly.

"Free us now, or your life will be in danger." Rose said.

_"Don't mes..."_ Darkrai tried to reply, but Rose unleashed on him all sort of stupid things that you can see in a demential _Tom & Jerry_ episode, forcing him to wake up all of us with our Pokemons and flee away.

"How?" I asked.

"Well, we were dreaming, right? But if we know we're dreaming, we can decide what dreaming, and I dreamed him being hitted by all those thing." Rose answered before laughing a lot.

"Farewell, Rose." I said while recalling my Pokemons and turning to the base.

"What are you doing?"

"I'm going to take my things in the H.Q. They won't imagine a such stupid act."

I was right, and, with my things and a lot of stolen food, water and all of the base cash (I was in charge of it), I departed that place riding a stolen Model Nidoking Pokebot.

footnotes

(1)Meaning 'female impostor'. A little strange characteristic of Enrico's speaking.

(2)I had to name the perfume produced in Celadon's Gym...


	8. Chapter 8

On'na Boss, Miyamoto, Agatha... The old times are returning.

by lord Martiya

P.S.: I was almost forgetting: in my profile there's a poll about Butch's final fate. If you want him dead, jailed, or something like that, you can vote.

**TALE 08: VS CELEBI**

If you believe that my crusade against Team Rocket began after knowing my nightmare, you're wrong. Why should I believe that a similar nightmare about my father was a memory? I took the Pokebot only because it was fast, not for the weaponry.

My objective was run to the Viridian Forest Ruins and try to discover what was happened in the past. But TR was waiting for me, and in the same moment I exited the Pokebot it was destroyed by an Hyperbeam from Tulip, Domino's Primeape.

I found myself surrounded by a company, and Domino, with all her party out, said: How obvious... Now, Enrico, can you give us those two Snag Machines, the blueprints and the Pokemons you stole?

"What Pokemons?" I asked.

"Vicious' ones. Let me see..." Domino looked on the list and read: "A Noctowl, a Weavile, a Scizor, a Magmortar, an Electivire and a Tyranitar. Wow, that team rocks..."

"I had totally forgotten about the..."

Then I laughed with gusto, because, in the same moment that Domino did, I understood that Rose, while so sick, managed to stole Vicious' Pokemons.

"Ooookaay, forgot the Pokemons." she said. "Now, let see about those Snag Machines... Wrong answer."

I let my party exit. Well, Ambrosio was stuck in a nearby pound, but with his attacks, especially the mighty Draco Meteor, he could help. But I was only calling their attention, waiting what was about to happen. And then it happened: the Rockets and their Pokemons were attacked by their own shadows.

"Uh... I forgot to mention, this part of the forest is haunted." I said recalling all my Pokemon but Aureliano.

"Do you really believe me so gullible?" Domino replied. "DON'T PANIC! TAKE THE TOWEL(1)! GIOVANNA, EARTHQUAKE!"

The Earthquake hit all the Rockets and the entire horde of Gastlys, Haunters, Gengars, Misdreavuses, Mismagiuses, Shuppets, Banettes, Duskulls, Dusclops, Dusknoirs, Drifloons, Drifblims, Shedinjas, Sableyes, Froslasses, Rotoms and even Spiritombs, besides other Ghost Pokemons, who were attacking them from their own shadows. Judging from her face (covered by her mask, but, you know, this means nothing), I believe that she understood who was the enemy, but I don't know her thinking because the enemy immediatly showed: she was, as you surely imagined, Agata of the Indigo Plateau Elite Four.

"Good call, twerpette." she said after appearing near her shoulder, terrifying the Rockets and surprising me (I failed to locate her). "As sign of appreciation, I'll let you yourselves to go away. You know, I'm here for those Snag Machines and the Blueprints..."

"Tulip, Cross Chop!" Domino replied, only to have her Pokemon frozed by an Ice Punch from Agata's Gengar.

"Last chanche, retire."

"You could have your party still fresh, but you're too outnumbered from us!"

"You know the best thing of Shedinjas? If you don't hit them with something supereffective, they're undefeatable."

"Crap..."

Domino and her people were tricked by Agata's experience, and now were mixed with very angry and near-immortal Pokemon with Shadow Claws ready. I tried to Fly away (that's the reason Aureliano is so strong and fast: I trained him to carry me at high speed, and when he don't carry me...) in the confusion, but I encountered a swarm of Drifloons, Gastlys, Zubats and Golbats, all leaded by Agata's party Crobat, blocking my way, so I had to land. The clash was about to begin when a childish voice asked to stop the fight.

The intruder was a girl of my age but short enough to be believed younger. She was wearing black pants and vest with a brown jersey and a straw hat hiding her ponytail, so she could be mistake for a boy. And seeing her, Domino said: "Rockets, do you remember my orders, don't panic and take the towel? Well... _**TRASH THE TOWEL AND RUN FOR YOUR LIFE!!**_"

Domino ran away screaming "_**THE SOVEREIGN OF THE FOREST!! WAAAAAAAAHHHHHH!!**_", followed by her party carrying Tulip.

Why? Well, when I was in TR I had the habit of use my spare time to live in Viridian Forest, and, while being a Viridian's Gym Trainer with my Trainer's badge and the style, I was accepted by the trainers of the Forests and their leader, that girl, nicknamed Yellow de Viridian Grove and infamous as 'Sovereign of Viridian Forest'. She was infamous for two things: her total lacking of common sense, that often leaded her to do attacks a bit too powerful, yes, she's the same who did that thing, and her narcolepsy that make her sleep in the worst possible moment. I told all of this to Domino, and I told also that every single Pokemon of Viridian Forest obey her, so Domino escaped, fearing to be eated alive by Caterpies.

The Rockets tried to escape, but... Well, Yellow went asleep and in dreamtalking ordered to attack the Rockets, so they were attacked and captured by an horde of Caterpies, Butterfrees, Weedles, Beedrills, Pidgeys, Pidgeottos, Spearows, Pikachus, etc.

"Crazy twerp..." commented Agata. "Now, Mr. Paolucci, give me the blueprints and one of the Snag Machine. You can keep the other."

"Good. Ten million Pokemon Dollars, please." I replied.

"Can you repeat the last part? I though to have heard bad. Twerpish age..."

"Twenty million Pokemon Dollars, please."

"... Good. Wait a moment, I prepare the check..."

"In cash. Low denomination. Better coins, if possible."

"DO YOU REALLY BELIEVE THAT I GO AROUND WITH TWENTY MILLIONS?!"

"Obviously, not. That's why I'll remain here to wait for you or your assistant."

Agata looked at me in a very scaring manner, then laughed and phoned to her assistant that I was really as Rose described me and to bring 'twenty cash'. Then I saw a light and appeared in an unknown building.

"Mom, I'm not a brat!" exclaimed a strangely familiar voice coming from a closed room.

"Your so-called 'Rocket Gang' is a brat play, so you're a brat." answered another one, a feminine one.

I turned to the room, and on the door I saw writed "Office of the Allmighty Lady President of Team Rocket". If I was in a manga, I would sweatdrop. I Aura-readed the room, and understood why the first voice was familiar: it was my father's one, in younger version. That explained everything: apparently a Celebi decided to help my search with time travel.

He and his mother, my grandmother, were talking about Team Rocket objectives. The 'Allmighty Lady President of Team Rocket', the woman that I saw in that portrait, wanted cash for a research, an illegal one, while my father believed that the World Governement would use the forbidden weapons to not let her doing that research, so it was better conquer the world first.

Then a woman, the 'Older Jesse', arrived. I managed to hide myself, having sensed her Aura, similar to Jesse's one, long before she arrives, and she entered in the boss' room, where she received an order: going to the Andes and retrieve Mew DNA or, if possible, a living Mew. I also heard that 'Older Jesse' was indeed Jesse's mother, and that she put her and Jesse's twin sister(2) for adoption. After that, Jesse's mother, the famous (in Team Rocket) Bonnie Parker(3), and my father were dismissed. After they went out of sight I exited my hideout. Finding my grandma waiting for me and smiling. She t... Uh? Do you really know her exact words? OK. She said: "Bondì, puto. Me imagin ti ghe xe mè nievo, giu-"

Hey, you asked for her exact words, and she talked to me in Candracan(4)! OK, I'll translate, she said: "Hi, kid. I suppose you're my grandson, right? Oh, don't be silly. You know, you have a wonderful Aura, but you're not so expert, while I am. That stupid twerp" she used the word 'twerp', not one of its Candracan counterpart like my favourite 'snarociòxo'. Team Rocket gergo, I suppose "is really a brat and clearly he will remain so... Please, come in my office."

"And if I refuse?" I replied.

She snapped her fingers, and I was literally KICKED in the office by a Dusclops.

"Please, sit." she said, and that time I preferred obey: I could sense that the office was full of Ghost Pokemon. "I have only a question for you: do you know where mankind come from?"

"According to my father, mankind naturally evolved on this planet." I answered.

"But you don't believe it, right? You're more intelligent than your brattish father. The only thing that I can concede him is that he's better than me at raising children. I wonder where I failed with him..."

"How can you know that I'm your grandson?"  
"Aura reading. Your father is really undertalented in this, something very strange in our family, so he always fail to recognize Aura, but I am a true Aura Guardian like my father before me and his father before him and his mother before her and etcetera etcetera. From Aura reading you can understood various thing, like who're the parents of somebody, if you know them, or that Giovanni will not properly train you and that I somehow managed to correct the thing. My sister is Dark City Gym Leader, I'll leave her something for you, the gloves you're wearing and a book. Well, the gloves are a decision that I just made, but from Aura reading and normal observation I understood various things. Like that's time you go in another time. Good luck, heir."

After that, the light, again. And I found myself behind a rock on a mountain road in the Andes, near a group of trainer old leaded by my father. It appeared that some year passed, because he was older.

"Giovanni, tell me again why we are about to kill that woman." told him a woman that I recognized as Rose's mother in face of her strange earrings, similar to triangles of reduced Pokeballs.

"Because if she manage to bring back something related to Mew Team Rocket will become too influent, and we won't took it over from my mother." my father answered. "Delia, you know, my mother is a bit crazy, but she's not stupid, and if she manage to have all that money she will corrupt the right people and secure her position unless somebody won't undeniably prove that she's Team Rocket boss, and our plan will be crushed."

"Why another avalanche?" a trainer asked. A trainer that I recognized as the would-be Iron Masked Crusader, nicknamed Vicious. "Last time she survived."

"According to her report, she was saved by a Pokemon. She was saved by Articuno. If Marie will confirm that Articuno is nowhere in sight, we'll act."

A woman who looked alike my sister, my would-be MOTHER, arrived riding a Pidgeot.

"So, Marie?" my father asked.

"No Articuno in the area." my mother replied. "Let's kill he..."

Then, I attacked the Pidgeot, KOing her with Federico's Earthquake. I know, a Flying-type is supposed to be immune to Earth-type attacks, but that's only because they can fly, and if the Earthquake is delivered on the back of the Flying-type, the immunity is invalidated.

"Who are you?!" shouted Vicious to me while Federico returned on my side.

"You can ask him later." my mother said glaring at me. "Before that, I'll grant him the troubles that he asked for."

My mother unleashed a little oversized Snorlax, really furious at me and Federico for what we did to the Pidgeot.

"Body Slam on him until he beg for his life." my mother ordered.

Her Snorlax tried to reduce the distance to obey to the order, but I made Federico counterattack with his prized Toxic. Yes, it was already powerful enough to KO a non-Poison type in few seconds. As anticipated, the Snorlax coughed abruptly from the poisoned smoke. Then, as NOT anticipated, it used Body Slam and nearly hit Federico.

"Immunity(5)." my mother explained. "Mega Punch."

Her Snorlax attacked with a very powerful Mega Punch, narrowly blocked by Federico, who then hit her with a Dynamic Punch while being hit by a Mega Kick. Both of them were in a very bad shape. Then, Snorlax used a Rest-Sleep Talk combo, restoring all the HP and attacking. Federico and I were lucky that he used Belly Drum, but she was still in better shape than Federico. Before she used Snore or awake, I made Federico using Horn Drill, managing to score the hit and win before being really in trouble.

At that point Vicious tried to grab one of his Pokeballs. Only to discover that during the match I released Snyer and made use him Thief to steal all of their Pokeballs.

"I suppose that now we'll remain here for a while." I said. "And the first who try to run away will have a very ugly scar in an embarassing point of Snyer's choice."

"CHARLIE! USE HEAT WAVE!" Rose's mother ordered.

Well, that woman was tricky like her daughter: the pointing down-'Pokeballs' of her earrings were ACTUAL POKEBALLS, placed there to surprise the enemy. And we were really caught in the surprise effect by the Shiny Charizard she released while Snorlax flied back for the hit of the Horn Drill. Snyer evaded with his superior speed and I managed to defend myself with a sort of Aura Sphere (thanks to the special gloves received from my grandmother via Sabrina and her friend), but Federico was hit and fainted. Before I or Rose's mother could order something to his Pokemon, Snyer and Charlie begin a Slash battle. When Charlie managed to score an hit he seemed to win, but he was then hit back with Payback.

Then we heard a motor noise. Rose's mother rided her Charizard and flied in air, while the others screamed and leveled themself on the mountain's side. Understanding that something was about to happen I recalled Snyer and flied in the air with Aureliano. Then Jesse's mother arrived. She was pursuing a Mew, riding an old Pokapp KS750(6) with a Poison Stinging-Arbok in the sidecar.

"I SWEAR, I'LL CATCH YOU!!" Bonnie shouted.

"She's totally crazy..." Rose's mother whispered.

"Poor bike..." I said.

Yes, poor bike: it was obvious that the Mew would destroy it when he was pissed off enough. However, after seeing that I decided that she didn't need protection, so I gave back the stolen Pokeballs, just in time for Celebi next appearance (that time he appeared before me, so I managed to see him) and the next time travel.

That one made me appear not later than a few months, near Rose's mother riding Charlie and keeping a crying baby with herself. Then the Sniny Weavile on Charlie's tail launched an Ice Beam, hitting a Noctowl and making him fall in a block of ice.

"Hey, what's happening?" I asked, following her.

"Uh? Well, that's explain why Vici's Noctowl stopped enough to be scored..." she said seeing me. "Well, I just quitted Rocket's Gang. Or I should be Team Rocket, now..."

"I just arrived in Kanto. What's happened to Team Rocket?"  
"Well, Giovanni, the TR boss' son, managed to publicy uncover her mother's activity and tell the Governement the location of TR HQ in Viridian Forest, all without being discovered. The HQ was attacked by the entire Trainer's Militia of Kanto and even by National Guard armoured units. His mother is presumed dead in the attack, and in the chaos he took over Team Rocket. I couldn't stand with this, so I kept this orphaned girl with me and now I'm returning home, to Pallet Town. I'm Delia Vandom, nice to meet ya. What's your name?"

"Uh... I'm Enrico, Enrico de Viridian Grove."

Then Aureliano shouted(7) 'Snarociòxo a ore zhincue! Snarociòxo a ore une!', warning of somebody trying to intercept us outside my Aura-reading area. T... Uh? Well, he said 'Twerp at five hour! Twerp at one hour' in Candracan, I trained him to use Candracan because during my TR period I didn't thinked to ever go in Candraca and almost nobody in Kanto and Jotho but Altomare(8)'s citizens can understand it, so a possible foe wouldn't understand the warning. As I was saying, the one behind us was my mother with her Pidgeot (she healed from the injuries of Federico's Earthquake), and the other was a trainer on a Salamence. Then the Salamence used Hyper Beam on Pidgeot. The attack missed, but my mother retired.

"That's so him..." Rose's mother said.

I used my scope (yes, I have one, I always have a scope with me), identifying him as Scottie Ketchum, the would-be 'Silver Bullet'.

"You're safe now." I said. "Goodbye."

"Wait!" she said. "Do you know a good name for this girl?"

"Uh... Rose?"

"I buy it. Thanks for everyt-"

Then Celebi decided that I had to return to my present, and I appeared near Agata.

"I hope you learned something from your time travel." she said. "Any question?"

"Was this TR headquarter?" I asked.

"And two floors up there were the Office of the Allmighty Lady President of Team Rocket."

"What's happened to my grandma?"

"She was shot by a sniper who tried to kill one of her bodyguard by one mile. She's presumed dead. Her body was never found, but it's presumed to be buried by her Pokemons, also never found by the soldiers."

"Mrs. Parker whereabouts?"

Agata pointed in Indigo Plateau's direction, where her helper was arriving. And with my scope I recognized her as Bonnie Parker: when she discovered that Giovanni was TR leader she imagined what was happened and the Ideal Image of Team Rocket, as she's famous in TR, joined Pokemon G-Men in a vendetta. And was unlucky enough to be assigned to work as assistant to the creepy Agata. Well, at least I was wrong on a thing: that Mew was never pissed off enough to destroy her motorbike, I discovered this seeing her arriving on her bike with my money.

footnotes

(1)If you can tell me to who's this homage, you'll win a spoiler of your choiche.

(2)I know, Jesse is supposed to be an only child. But not here.

(3)Sorry, but I couldn't use her original name because it would be absurd having Jesse and her sister with English names and their mother called Miyamoto (Giovanni's daughter have a French name, but that's like her mother), so I chose another name. Every other data about her will remain like in the original. I named the character following TR English names pattern of famous criminals, in this case Bonnie from the infamous bandit couple Bonnie & Clyde. Will Clyde Barrow appear? I don't know...

(4)Main language spoken in the region of Candraca, from where Giovanni and his mother come from in this fanfic. I choose to use a strict Venetian Language to represent it because I publish this fanfic also in Italian, so I needed something DIFFERENT from Italian, and because I'm not able to create a fictional language on my own.

(5)One of two Abilities that a Snorlax can come with, prevents poisoning. And negate the effect of Toxic.

(6)Another homage to a motorcycle, this time to the famous Zündapp KS750, also famous as the standard Wehrmacht sidecar of WWII, maybe the most famous motorbike with sidecar in history.

(7)It's not a talking Pokemon. Simply Murkrows can be trained to repeat words, and this one was trained to repeat some words in particular conditions.

(8)Location of _Pokemon Heroes_, it's a city who looks very similar to Venice.


	9. Chapter 9

Are you ready to the first blasting-off of the anime? And for a Joy a bit violent? I almost forgot: last time Domino homaged _The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy._

by lord Martiya

**TALE 09: VS PIKACHU**

It was after my encounter with Agata that I started my crusade against Team Rocket. Knowing all that he did, I couldn't let Giovanni escape the right punishment. Nobody with a bit of decency would do. What?! Killing him?! No, I never thought to kill him, it wouldn't be enough. My plan was simply destroy his organization and forcing him to watch all his work to be destroyed.

But before start, I needed to have Federico back in shape and check out my other Pokemons, and the nearest Pokemon Center was in Viridian City, the city completly OWNED by Team Rocket. Yes, I said owned: everybody in Viridian knew that my father was Team Rocket leader, and nobody dared to defy him. Well, to be totally sincere I would say that only three Viridian's citizens, beside my sister and me, defied him at every chanche, and, luckily, one of them was Margareth Andrea Joy, better known as 'The Nurse Joy of Viridian City', the girl in charge of the local Pokemon Center.

When I entered I was wondering on how convince her that I was Rocket no more.

"Raise your hand, you damned Rocket!" she told me pointing me a shotgun.

Yes, she had a shotgun, and that weapon was the only thing that prevented Team Rocket from killing her: the first time two Elite Agents tried, she shot them and had Attila arrested with a leg filled by pellets and his pal permanently stucked under flowers (the attorney managed to claim the Self-Defence: the two were armed and tried to shoot her). Yes, Attila was freed after paying the bail, but after that time TR tried only three times to kill her, and the second time the would-be killers, two B-Rank volunteers, were almost killed by an half-crazy starting trainer, the third time the killers, Butch and Cassidy on their third A-Rank mission and the first after their first arrest, barely escaped with their butts filled by pellets and the fourth time... Well, the Rockets were two Elite Agents, and Rose was there. You can guess the rest.

For what concern me, I was lucky enough to be a wanted criminal. Why? Well, Joanna Jenny, at that time better know as 'The Younger(1) Officer Jenny of Viridian City', was one of the two other people in Viridian who dared to rebel against Giovanni's rule, and she knew that I was wanted as TR member because I deserted. She was the one who came to arrest me, and seeing me explained her the situation and left a black fisher's hat with a red Pokeball symbol to help me to hide my identity, before returning to her station at the edge of the city and telling her superior that the Elite Agent managed to flee.

"So, why did you came here?" she asked.

"My Nidoking was injuried by a Snorlax and a Charizard, and my Sneasel need a check-up." I replied. "Also, I would ask you to check-up my other Pokemons, as well."

She nodded, and after the check-up gave me back my Pokemons beside Federico, who needed a little rest. While waiting, I slept for a while with the hat covering my face. Do you want to know a little thing? When I sleep well, not even explosions can wake me up, but a simple touch can. So, when I woke up it was night, the Pokemon Center was partly destroyed by an explosion and I was held in hostage by Jesse, James and Meowth to prevent Federico, Nurse Joy, and the little and enraged Misty Williams to greatly hurt them, Jesse's Ekans and James's Koffing.

"Ahahahahahahahah! We won!" said Meowth. "Now, if you don't want him dead, surrender no... Hey, what are you doing?!"

There was a trainer with a familiar look and an official Pokemon League hat who was pedaling a totally burned-up bike with a Pikachu linked to the dinamo and charging up. While the Trio looked at him, I elbowed Meowth in his thooth and escaped his grip. Just a second before that a super-charged Thundershock zapped them and triggered an unexplicable explosion that blasted them off in their baloon.

For that moment I was totally awoke, and I immediatly recognized the Pikachu and his trainer: the Pikachu was once a failed Mewtwo with the biggest identity crisis in world history, and his trainer was Rose's brother.

"ASH KETCHUM!! WHAT DID YOU THINKED?!" Misty erupted, confirming my guess. "THEY HAD AN HOSTAGE!!"

"Well, I believed that if we zapped them strongly enough the Nidoking could beat them before they realized what's happened." Ash answered. "How I was supposed to know that those two had explosive in their boots?"

"They have no explosive in their boots." I stated after checking the ground zero. So far, nobody realized how they managed to explode in such manner. "Now, can you explain me what's happened?"

"Well, those two entered shouting that they wanted the Pokemons, we escaped them in the Pokemon Restroom and unleashed on them your Nidoking, but the Meowth knew him and... Well, you know the rest." answered Nurse Joy while giving me back Federico's Ultraball.

I recalled Federico and thanked Nurse Joy, and I was about to exit to destroy some of Giovanni's holding in the city when Ash asked me if I knew his sister Rose and my name was Enrico.

"Yes to both, why?" I replied.

"PIKACHU, THUNDERSHOCK!"

Obviously, Pikachu tried to zap me three times, stopping only when I managed to shield me with his trainer. Then I pulled him off with one arm and asked him: "What did you thinked to do?" in a tone capable to scare to death the Devil himself. But not Ash.

"What did you to Rose?!" he shouted back. "She was away for a work, and when she returned didn't eat and drunk, and sleeped very few sleeptalking your name! And then she went away again saying that she owed you something, and never retOUCH!!"

"I'm not responsible of that stupid act of your sister, an act that she ceased after our last meeting last week." I answered him after leaving him fall on his ass.

I was about to leave, but he challenged me to a Pokemon match. A BEGINNER against ME. Normally I would refuse, but he was the annoying people, so I accepted to kick his ass into submission and unleashed Snyer.

His Pikachu used Thundershock. Snyer evaded, kicked him in the trash can and then, obeying my order to calm Ash, closed the poor boy and Misty in the broom room.

"Hey, what...?! LET ME EXIT FROM HERE!!" Misty shouted in disbelief.

"AAAAAHHH!! COOTIES!!" Ash shouted.

When the beating noises ceased, Snyer opened the door, and an embarassed and angry Misty exited with a totally KOed Ash. After that treatment, Ash was a bit calmed, and listened what's happened. Then I had an idea.

"Listen, I want to help you." I said. "Do you know how entering in the Conference?"

"Yes, I just need to beat eight gym leaders and show the badges!" Ash replied. "Mom told me to avoid Viridian's Gym for a while, so I planned to go to Mintale Town(2)..."

"AAAAAAAARGH!! NOT THAT!!" Misty shouted.

"Why not?"

"Not that city!! Listen, I will follow you until you pay back my bike, but you won't go to Mintale Town! DO YOU UNDERSTAND?!"

Ash nodded. How unlucky that Mintale Town Gym was specialized in Bug-type and that their gym leader was in love with Misty... Poor girl.

"Well, I had no plan to send you to Mintale Town." I said, while writing a list of places with a gym. "Ash, if you want to become strong, follow this list. Every leader will be more strong than the previous, so..."

The list began with Pewter City: Ash would deal with his natural enemy, a Rock-type specialist who had a Rock-Earth type as his strongest Pokemon. Then, Cerulean City, and probably Misty. OK, he had a Pikachu, but Misty was a bad customer especially for Pokemon with the type advantage on her Water-type(3). Third, Vermillion City, and Surge with his newly-caught Raichu. I know Surge, he's exactly the type who would do a such thing. Fourth, Saffron City. Well, at that time Sabrina wasn't the official Gym Leader, she was only the leader of an unofficial League gym specialized in Psychic-type, and if I knew that she would overthrow Kiyo from his position I would never recomanded Saffron City. Fifth place was Celadon City, with Erika, and sixth was Fuchsia, with Koga. I was expecting Ash to be strong enough for them by that time. Seventh, was Cinnabar Island, with Blaine. Not only Blaine was really strong, but simply REACH HIM would force Ash to use his brain and overcome his limits. Last, Viridian City. Yes, I planned that thing from that istant.

After that, I exited, avoiding the police, and left Viridian City to start my training.

footnotes

(1)During the Indigo Plateau Conference episodes we saw two Jennys with the Viridian's symbol on their hats, sowe know that Viridian City has at least two Jennys.

(2)The setting of the spin-off game _Pokemon Channel_. It's near Viridian City and Pewter City, as evidenced by the presence of Viridian Forest in the game. In the game Mintale Town has no gym, but this is not the game.

(3)See every time she had to fight a Pokemon with a type advantage and managed to not use Psyduck: her foe always had immense problems, and only Ash managed to beat her.


	10. Chapter 10

Last time, I introduced a Joy with a shotgun. If you're wondering about what shotgun was, it was the Pokemon version of the mighty SPAS-12 loaded with the so-called lupara shots (pellets linked with iron strings, more disruptive against flesh, a 'Ndrangheta habit). In this chapter I'll introduce a my original character that you could have seen in the webcomic _Secret Love_ from ElliasMaidenhowl. I created the character for a contest of OC that would appear in her comic, there's not art thieft from anybody.

by lord Martiya

**TALE 10: VS NOCTOWL**

Well, I suppose to have talked too much, and now I have to unveil my training regime... One hundred thousand, in cash.

Very well, all the money. And I was joking... Oh, well, some money is always welcome.

Good, so, you want to know my training regime? Very simple: attacking TR A-rankers and Elites and various shipment. Yes, shipment: Giovanni had the habit of using some of the most talented and most thrusted trainees for the various material deliveries, so I was sure to find a reasonable match that wouldn't escape while damaging TR affairs.

I 'trained' for a week when something forced me to interrupt.

I just finished lunch when I had a sensation and ducked. And a bullet fled exactly where my head was, near enough to let me feel its heat. Acting on the Aura-sensing, I managed to evade various other bullet while moving behind a three. Then I heard a cell phone ringing with a registered tone that was saying: "_Enrico Paolucci, this call is for you!_"

I answered the call and asked in the phone: "Please, can you tell me who are you?"

"_You can call me White Feather_(1)_._" the other answered. "_Yes, THE White Feather. Also, I am the one who's shooting at you._"

Uh? You don't know who the White Feather is? Well, he's one of the best sharpshooters in the entire world. I don't know if he's really able to hit a Caterpie between his eyes from a 2000 meters(2), but what I know is that he can hit a little Flying-type Pokemon flying at Dragonite's speed from 800 meter(3).

Knowing of him, I asked: "What do you want?"

"_Your bounty is thirty millions, and even if they understimated you the money don't stink. Can you surrender now, please?_"

"Is there somebody under-18 listening?"

"_Yes. Why?_"

"Because I don't want to use curses near them. Go to Hell."

"_Well, at least you're polite... I suggest you reconsider: you can run, but only in my trap, as I proved._""What will happen if I surrender?"

"_I'll shoot you with a tranquillizer bullet. You know, sometimes there's an idiot who try THAT trick..._"

"As I supposed. My answer is no."

"_As you want. You have five seconds to find another cover before I shoot again and a device wet you with Gloom essence._"

I didn't called his bluff (besides, he didn't bluffed) and took cover behind another tree. Then I discovered something about his ability: he was able to hit with ricocheting bullets, and I was near-missed by one of those shots. And if you consider that he only knew that I was behind the tree, you can call him a very good sniper. At least I managed to see the caliber of bullets he was using, 12.7x99mm, and that could help me.

_OK, let's resume the data._ I thinked. _He's using a weapon chambered for 12.7x99, and those weapons have an effective range between 1800 and 2000 meters. He's ricocheting his rounds, so I cannot know exactly the direction, but at least I know that he's very much nearer than 1800 meters. And he's using tranquillizer bullets, so he's probably nearer than 1000 meters. Now I have to locate him, if I want to fight back, and running is not an option, he could shoot my legs with something more damaging. Well, let's try that and hope that the under-18 people he talked about won't attack me..._

Then, from another direction, he shot at me a rifle grenade(4) filled with tear gas. I managed to evade his attack only by sheer luck, because a wild Murkrow was attract by the shining grenade and took it far from me before I was gassed, but it told me that he was nearer than 200 meters. Maybe even 100 meters, considering that he was surely using a silencer to not be located. I knew almost all I needed, and called upon Aureliano to understand exactly where White Feather was hiding.

"Aureliano, there's somebody who's attacking us. Fly high and locate him." I ordered after changing position.

Aureliano flew high and as fast as he could, rivaling Dragonite speed. He was almost at 700 meters high when I discovered that White Feather was able to shoot him at that speed. White Feather just did a thing he shouldn't do: enrage me.

"YOU ASKED FOR IT!!" I shouted while recalling Aureliano in mid-air and unleashing Raimondo. "RAIMONDO, RAKE THE AREA WITH YOUR HYPER BEAM!"

It appeared that White Feather had another weapon, a submachine-gun, that he used in direct fire attempting with his rifle attempting to stop Raimondo. The counterattack had no effect on his scales, but White Feather somehow survived the Hyper Beam (I later discovered that one of his Pokemons shielded him using Protect).

But at that point I turned the table: with that direct shooting White Feather revealed his position, while during the Hyper Beam I called forth Federico and hided underground with his Dig. From that I recalled Raimondo and reached White Feather position while he was looking around with his Shiny Gengar, the Pokemon who shielded him. Being just 2 or 3 cm(5) underground, I could see him and, as back-up, called for Snyer. I planned to attack with Federico zapping around with Thunderbolt, hoping that the electricity would detonate White Feather rounds. Then we emerged. And I discovered the golden rule of a sniper: having a good spotter covering your back. And his Noctowl was named Spotter and had an Extrasensory ready for us. And I can assure you that it HURTS. But, unluckyly for Spotter, Extrasensory is a Psychic attack and Snyers is and was partly a Dark-type and partly an Ice-type. I'll let you guess. No Ice Beam, try again. No, he hates using Ice Punch. Yes, he used Blizzard at point blank. On a lower-level Flying-type. No, it didn't hurt, Spotter fainted before feeling pain.

Besides, the Blizzard had a side-effect: prevented White Feather's Gengar, named Security (I know, White Feather has an impressive fantasy for names) to aim his Shadow Ball due to snow in his eyes and White Feather, who was wearing goggles, to locate us well enough to shoot at us.

Federico and I jumped on White Feather to beat him while Snyer dealed with Security, but all five of us were blocked in mid-air by a powerful Disable, and a young man about 25-years old and a red-headed girl with a Raichu on her shoulder appeared out of nowhere. I consider myself lucky: I had a pistol aimed at my shoulder and Federico had a submachine gun aimed at his leg, and if White Feather wasn't blocked by the Disable I was surely shot.

"You got a good performance." the man said to me. "Normally people won't survive five seconds against White Feather, but you managed to arrive at point-blank range before 'losing'. It was worth to locate you and use him as a test."

"Who are you?" I asked.

"Oh, yes, you can't turn your head for the Disable... Look."

He posed his face before my eyes, and I gulped: he was The Lord, the youngest Pokemon Master in history, the strongest living Master, Master Champion of Candraca, honorific general of the World Army, yadda-yadda-yadda, and, more important, the Pokemon G-Man in charge about Team Rocket.

"I suppose from the 'gulp' that you recognized me." he said. "Very good, because I'd like you to work for me in Pokemon G-Men to bring down Team Rocket."

"No." I replied. "It's personal."

"That's not a videogame, it's real life. The strenght of your Pokemon and of your will matters NOT, you cannot bring down something like Team Rocket alone. The first Cipher in Orre was a glorified joke, that's why Wes managed to bring it down almost alone. Team Rocket it's the biggest criminal organization in the entire world. Do you really hope to do some significant damage before being overwhelmed? It's impossible."

"You bringed down the Tiksi(6) Rebellion survivors."

"I simply defeated the brother of their boss and the boss was stupid enough to search for me and being surprised by my last Pokemon. I took down the boss and his elite, the Army did the job. However, here's my offer: clearing from all charges; a salary of ten millions monthly; information and powers of a Pokemon G-Man; and..."

"I don't care."

"Let me finish. Last but not least, a motorbike."

"A... Motorbike?"

"Just join us and tell me the model."

"Did Rose told you about that?"

"Obviously, yes."

"Can you bring here a Dogati Hypermotard S with a sidecar and customization tools?"

"It will be here tomorrow."

"I accept!"

"Good! You know, if you refused I'll had to let my brother-in-law claim your bounty..."

While I was wondering of how a Pokemon Master happened to be a bounty hunter's brother-in law, the source of the blocking Disable pointed White Feather's guns in air and moved us to not crash, and then freed us. After I signed the contract, The Lord ordered the bike and the redheaded-girl treated Aureliano to wake him up, I asked: "Excuse me, but where is the minor?"

"Did W.F. mentioned a minor?" the redhead asked.

"Ye-"

"JAKE! WHERE ARE YOU?! I'M GONNA TO ZAP YOU OUT OF MANHOOD!!"

White Feather, whose real name was apparently Jake, was disappeared, leaving only a note for me to congratulate my performance and wishing to work with me the next time we met, and the redhead went after him.

"When it regards each other, they revert at five years old." The Lord Explained.

"I noted." I answered. "Is it real that Candracan gym leaders are all crazy?"

"She's one of them, judge by yourself. BTW, when your bike is here I'll have a job for you in Jotho, a funny one, at least for you."

"Let's do it."

I had a job. A remunerative one. And, better of all, I had my motorbike. For free. In spite of White Feather, that was one of the best days in my life.

footnotes

(1)The original character that I created for _Secret Love_, he's not a simple sniper, but a Master Sniper (in Canadian Army they're the best of the best among the snipers). His sniping weapon is the Pokemon world version of the McMillan TAC-50 LRSW, the anti-material rifle who realized the longest recorded sniper kill (2432 meters, or 1.509 miles), while, in this incarnation, for self-defence he carries the local version of the infamous submachine gun FN P-90 and of the FN Five-seveN (no mispelling, it's writed in this manner). Here he's not Canadian.

(2)1.2 miles, just in case you don't use SI units.

(3)1/2 mile.

(4)A grenade using a rifle as launcher. It's range is inferior to a grenade launched by a grenade launcher, but it's bigger and more powerful.

(5)3 cm1 inch.

(6)Tiksi is a place mentioned in the _Green_, _Red_, _Blue_, _Yellow_, _Fire Red_ and _Leaf Green_ versions of the game by a Silph Co. traitor scientist as a place where he was about to be transferred. It's also a mention of a real world city in Sakha Republic, a state in Russian Federation, more precisely Siberia.


	11. Chapter 11

This time I'll borrow a scene from the ORIGINAL opening of the _Legend of Thunder_ special. And I laughed a lot while writing the backstory of that scene. Also, now will appear the last Pokemon of Enrico's team. If you want the spoiler for knowing the common theme in the nicknames, you have time until the next chapter.

by lord Martiya

**TALE 11: VS CYNDAQUIL**

Yeah, my job. But, first, tell me a thing. Do you know the Candracan gym leaders? Good! Are they really crazy?

Yes, I know her, she's a technopath.

Did she really ditched so much men?!

Augh. Well, at least that [ YOU DON'T WANT TO KNOW THE WORD ] won't play with the feelings of other girls...

Talk with plants... Ah. Earth-type specialist. Well, that's common, between Earth-type specialists. Uh, that is NOT common. Even between Grass-type specialists...

Uh, that's weird.

Did she REALLY planned world conquest with her brother?!

Eaten money?!

Well, if he's a Poison-type specialist it's almost normal. Somehow...

I met him. I can tell you what he did in Sinnoh with the help of Jesse, James & Meowth and those three...

Worrying. Really worrying.

Uh... Interesting.

His name is enough.

Even hers.

Uh... Uh uh... Eh eh... HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!! WONDERFUL!!!

Uh... They seems like those two manga characters... Yes, them(1)!

WHAT IN THE HELL HE DID TO DESERVE _**THAT**_?!?!?!

Now that I know, I can return to my job. Poor boy... BTW, who was the girl? Ah. No wonder she ended like that.

Well, my first G-Man job was preventing a big theft in professor Elm facility. Three seniors, Wes, his girlfriend Rui and that crazy Addams (our leader in that mission. I haven't discovered his true name, yet), would attack the main group. I, the fastest with the fastest Pokemon in the group, had to seek and stop, dead or alive, eventual escaping Rockets. I could let them escape, but not with stolen Pokemon.

While Addams was going booming the poor Rockets, two B-rank agents managed to escape with a sneezing Totodile and pursued by the three Elm-sponsorized beginners of that year. After going a bit far from the beating of their peers, the B-rankers decided to face their pursuers, and went in the worst habit of the B-rankers. The motto.

"Prepare for trouble!"

"And make it double!"

"To inf-"

"CHIKORITA! VINE WHIP!"

"CYNDAQUIL! EMBER!"

"WANI-WANI! WATER GUN!"

And the two B-rankers, Cassidy and Butch, got fooled by three beginners. They weren't happy.

"How you dared to do that?!?!?!" Butch complained.

"Hey, you are the idiots who wasted time..." was the reply from the Cyndaquil trainer.

"YOU'LL PAY FOR THAT! GO, PRIMEAPE!"

Just a moment before he released his Pokemon, I took the Pokeball from his hand, kicked his butt and then gave him back the Pokeball.

"Hi, guys. Can you prepare for trouble and make it hundredple?" I greeted them.

"No way! You're not a member anymore, we won't obey you!" Butch replied.

"Bill..." Cassidy called him.

"IT'S BUTCH! B- Oh. I see..."

While I was making fun of Butch, Snyer was holding Cassidy at claw point. I was thinking of what doing with those two idiots when the Totodile woke up and used them to demonstrate that at least one Totodile, him, can learn Mega Punch and Comet Punch, before blasting them off with a Water Gun. I was about to talk with the trainers when Addams called me by Pokegear.

"What's happening, boss?" I asked.

"_The Executive is running away. Defeat him, but remember that he used to be an Elite Four in Candraca, ten years ago._" Addams ordered.

I answered with a very heavy Candracan swear, and he replied telling me that he was glad that I understood the situation.

After that, I ran in intercepting course and, after finding him, Snyer managed to stop him. Apparently, he didn't expected a Sneasel able to do Razor Wind, so when he saw Snyer he didn't actived the wind shield of his jeep, only the freeze shield. He didn't love that.

"You'll pay for that." he said, after exiting the jeep (that didn't blow up like TR vehicles are alleged to do).

"Sorry, but I don't have any cash with me." I replied.

Why joking in his face? Well, he was Marco Lugarini, and I knew that he hated not being taken seriously and tended to have his mind clouded by rage. I needed every advantage against an Elite Four-level trainer. That and my beginning of the match with Aureliano, a Murkrow, did the job.

"You'll pay for this offence!" he said while unleashing his Manectric on us. "MANECTRIC, THUNDER!"

Aureliano dodged the attack and replied with a painful Nightshade on Manectric's eyes, followed by a Shadow Ball in a split-second. It endured and replied with a barrage of Charge Beams. Aureliano was forced to dodge without managing to counterattack, and then hit by a Shock Wave.

"Kill it with Thunderfang." Lugarini ordered.

Then, just a second before being hit, Aureliano replied with Toxic, blocking the enemy attack and weaking him enough for my little prank. What prank? Well, do you remember the Snag Machine, right? Yes, I snagged Marco Lugarini's Manectric. He was so shocked that didn't dodged Aureliano's Peck and was knocked down, but quickly recovered and sent in battle his powerhouse, his Electivire. I trusted Aureliano, but I was no idiot, and I didn't risked his life against an Elite Four-level Electivire, not when he was weakened, so I entered in battle Federico and ordered Snyer to be ready to back up. Then, while we were about to order our Pokemon in battle, Marco screamed and went down on his face. When his Pokemon turned to understand what was happening, Snyer and Federico bringed him down and I snagged him while hearing a powerful bang. Then I analized Lugarini's injury, and noted that the hollow point bullet striked him exactly in the right spot to permanently paralize him while not endangering his life.

"Not him... Not give me to him... Kill me!!!" Lugarini cryed.

"'Him' who?" I asked, while suspecting who shot him.

"The White Feather!"

"Sorry, but he'll claim your bounty. Ehi, wait, I'm not sorry."

"KILL ME!"

"No."

Then W.F. arrived in jeep, and, seeing me, he said: "My bounty, please."

I gave him the check and asked: "What did you did to this guy?"

"His left arm is a prosthetic, the real one was severed by an explosive bullet in the last stand of the Tiksi Rebellion. Another bullet neutered him. And he can consider himself lucky to escape me for ten years after bailing himself out of jail and running from Candraca. Now he will be tried for all of his crimes, and won't run away. And in Candraca we still have some harsh punishments for people who collected all of his crimes, like dr-"

"Understood. Just another question: why Pokemon G-Men never recruited you?"

"Because I never wanted. Look, when the Rebellion survivors were defeated we of the Army did the biggest part of the job but received none of the glory, and I can endure this, but also a fellow of mine was falsely accused of inappropriate conduct on the corpse of a rebel, and I cannot endure this. I quit the Army, for that, and I'll never work again for the government. Never. Now, can you jail him safely? My sister, my brother-in-law, my brother and I would like to watch his trial and his execution..."

"Nice. But why being a bounty hunter?"

"Because the majority of the people with a bounty did something that I really despise, and being paid for something that I would do for free is perfect. Nice to see you."

White Feather tied up Lugarini with iron wire, ordered him to thank for not using barbed tape(2) and went away with his check, leaving the criminal with me. I put him in the sidecar and went near New Bark Town with him. There I joined the group, and one of the beginners, the Cyndaquil trainer, told me that he wanted to be like me.

"Well, the name's Enrico Paolucci, yours?" I asked.

"I'm Jimmy Dani, n-" he began, but I interrupted him.

"Well, Jimmy Dani, you're an idiot."

While the shock opened his mouth enough to let Yanmas flying in, I continued: "I gave you my name only because I wanted to know yours to let you know better that you're an idiot and I consider impolite asking a name without giving my one."

Well, everybody was shocked by my little stunt, and only Snyer and Addams were able to do something. And they were laughing. But I didn't ended.

"And let me tell you that you're for sure one of the biggest idiot in the world, so big that no word in no known language could describe you, if you want to be like someone you barely know." I told him. "DISMISSED!"

Jimmy was actually turning to go away, then he realized how I treated him and reacted.

"Hey, nodoby can treat me like that!" he shouted.

"Well, call him nobody." a TOTODILE told him. Yes, another freaking talking Pokemon. And he was the crazy Totodile who beated up Cassidy and Butch.

"Damn... Enrico Paolucci, I challenge you to a Pokemon battle!"

"You're not only idiot, you're even crazy." I replied. "You're a beginner, I can hold my ground against Elite Four-level trainers."

"I don't care!"

"Your choice."

The people cleared a little area for us, and Jimmy used his Cyndaquil. I thought for a moment about using Raimondo, but I decided that such a thing would be too much and used Federico. Who, seeing his opponent, almost laughed. The poor Jimmy was sweating bullets for the little mismatch... Well, at least he knew that he won't win in a power confrontation, so he tried some strategy. His opening move was a Smokescreen in Federico's face, followed by an Ember and a Tackle. I made Federico use Counter, KOing the Cyndaquil without even attacking. It was really fun... When Jimmy went to care of his Cyndaquil, I moved near Federico and called him.

"What do you want?" he replied coldly while glaring at me.

"Give you a little advice: keep your cool, you could face a trainer who won't go easy on you only because you're a little beginning brat." I told him.

I was about leaving when the Talking Totodile called for me.

"What do you want?" I asked him.

"You." he answered. "No dates, only training."

"Why I should accept you?"

"Because we both hold a grudge against Team Rocket and I'm pretty good in finding information. You can tell it by yourself, if I wasn't good I couldn't know about you. My infos for training and meals. No Pokeball."

"OK. Your name?"

"Antonio."

And, with a new companion, I continued my crusade.

footnotes

(1)'Those two manga characters' are Might Guy and Kakashi Hatake, from _Naruto_. No, they won't appear, only those two unnamed characters have their form of rivalry.

(2)Also known as razor wire, is a variant of the barbed wire, normally used by militaries.


	12. Chapter 12

This is a filler chapter, but it it will appear one of my two favourite one-time character of the anime. He appeared some chapter ago, but I make sure that you won't recognize him. Also, now I'll reveal you the origins of the nicknames of Enrico's team: Italian nobles who fought for other nations (I used their Italian names). They are: Antonio=Mark Antony (Roman general who fought for Cleopatra VII); Ambrosio & Aureliano=Ambrosius Aurelianus (semi-legendary Roman leader of Imperial ancestry who guided the Britons against the invading Saxons); Federico=Fredrick II Hohenstaufen (Holy Roman Emperor, he was born in Italy but fought for his Germany-based empire); Raimondo=Raimondo Montecuccoli (Prince of Montecuccoli and Count of the Empire, he was a leader for the Holy Roman Empire from the Thirty Years War to the Franco-Dutch War); Eugenio=Prince Eugene of Savoy-Carignan (cadet of the Dukedom of Savoy, he fought for the Holy Roman Empire from 1683, fighting in the Ottoman Siege of Vienna as a dragoon, to 1738, guiding the Imperial Army in the War of the Polish Succession of 1733-1738). Who guessed the common theme will be contacted for the spoilers.

by lord Martiya

**TALE 12: VS SANDSHREW**

After that first job, I received various anti-logistic jobs and did it flawlessly. Then I found a red-headed kid with a Nidorino and a bunch of CHEERLEADERS battling someone's Tangela. The redhead was a lot more intelligent than his more experienced but stupider foe, and, coupled with the Type advantage, this gave him an easy victory. Then, the kid challenged me to defeat his Nidorino. I unleashed Federico.

"Wait..." the kid said while looking at Federico. "Uh... Can I retire for now? I'm not strong enough for your Nidoking, yet."

"No problem." I replied.

I was about to go away, but he called for me and asked: "Are you Enrico Paolucci?"

"I am. Who want to know?" I replied.

"The name's Gary Oak, and I am the strongest, most intelligent and most gorgeous of this year beginning trainers from Pallett Town."

"You forgot the most modest!" Antonio mocked him.

"What?! A talking Pokemon?!"

"If humans can talk, why not I?"

"Enough." I said. "Gary Oak, why did you asked for my name?"

"Well... Rose Ketchum told me that she will wait you in Cerulean City. By the way, what's your rel-"

I imitated a Mean Look attack on him.

"Uh... Nevermind." he said. "I'll defeat you another day. Smell ya later!"

The immodest kid went away in a car with his cheerleaders, and I headed for Cerulean Gym. The only place where Rose would wait for me. But before that I got a little thing in a shop.

When I arrived to Cerulean's Gym I found a thing for what I planned: Misty Williams fighting as gym leader against Ash Ketchum. And Misty just won the first round, nearly drowning Ash's Butterfree. Ash was about to call for his Pidgeotto when Rose interrupted.

"IT'S ENOUGH!" she shouted appearing on the springboard.

"Sis?! What are you doing here?!" Ash exclaimed.

"I'm waiting for a friend. But for now, I want to ask a thing to Pikachu. Tell me, Pikachu, why don't you want to fight? Why? Are you so... so... What's the word...? Oh! Good Pokemon!"

Pikachu jumped in the arena, ready to fight. And frightened by Rose.

"You know each other..." Ash stated, and Pikachu nodded. "Very well. PIKACHU, THUNDERBOLT!"

The effect was a bit shocking. You know, Misty is famous for being nearly unbeatable when her foe has the Type advantage, and I heard of that from Giovanni before leaving TR, but her Staryu got knocked down with one hit. Apparently, Ash had a talent in that(1). Then they were about to battle with Pikachu and Starmie, when Jesse & James & Meowth entered in the gym with a machine.

"PRE-"

"TURTLEY! HYDROCANNON!"

Well, Turtley just evolved in Blastoise, and Rose didn't appreciated the interruption. Team Rocket was blasted off.

"Your sister is a bit scaring..." Misty said.

"You don't know the other one." Ash replied. "Let's continue before she decide to punish us."

Ash's Pikachu defeated Misty's Starmie with some problem, but Ash still won and made a victory dance. Then I showed me.

"Finally!" Rose exclaimed. "I was wondering when you'll arrive here!"

"I arrived here a while ago, but I was looking on how Misty would humiliate her sisters with a better performance." I replied, making Misty chuckle.

"Hey! How you dare!" the pink-haired shouted.

"She's the brat of the family, and the most inexperienced!" the blue-haired shouted.

"And despite being the younger of you and in Type-disadvantage, she fought well." I replied. "Also, I know that she passed the gym leader exam with flawless strategy, and that her opponents were of the nasty type. A newly-evolved Raichu from Surge, and you know what this mean, a swimming Nidorina with Poison Point and Electric-Type attacks, a Venusaur, Erika's main Gloom with all his horrible stink(2) and a Gyarados with Electric-Type attacks. The masterpiece was making the Gyarados electrocuting himself while forcing herself to not wet herself. I suppose that Misty has a little fear of those..."

"He has a point." admitted Daisy, the only sister intelligent enough to deserve that I learned her name.

"Yes, the boss has." Antonio declared.

One istant later, we had to stop Misty from strangling him with a killing hug.

Some minute later, while Ash was lost in a sort of overconfidence delirium, Rose and I were alone chatting of various things when Rose asked me to travel with her brother for a while.

"Why?" I asked.

"Well, I suppose that he'll benefit a lot from being around you." she replied. "Also, I suppose that it's in the interest of both of you to visit a certain unofficial gym on Route 25, just after the Nugget Bridge."

"And why is it in our best interest?"

"It's in Ash's interest because he need a devastating defeat to bring him back to reality, and it's in your interest because... Well, you'll see. Oh, I was forgetting a thing."

Rose pulled out a Razor Claw and said: "That's for Snyer, it'll help him."

"Thanks. And goodbye." I said.

Then, before departing, I slapped on her head a white fisher's hat with a red Pokeball symbol, and then ran away and hide before she reacted in shock at receiving a present from me.

After Rose going away, I reached Ash and Misty and their travelling companion, Brock Peters, who just forfeited his gym leader position to his father to travel with them. As later he confessed me, he initially did it only to have an excuse to block his father at home to be tortured by the littler childs(3) and begin his journey, but now he decided to go with them. We presented each other our Pokemon. Brock had with him his starter Onix, one of his Geodudes and a newly-caught Zubat. Misty has her Staryu, her starter Starmie and her Goldeen. Ash had his starter Pikachu, his Butterfree and his Pidgeotto. And I found out that Aureliano evolved in a Honchkrow, thanks to Rose and a Dusk Stone(4).

"She often does that..." Ash commented. "Hey... She's gone, isn't her?"

If you shout 'Cootie Alert' or something like that for the both of us, I'll make you able to tell who's the crueler." I replied, blocking him immediatly.

Ash was really believing to be 'all that and a bag of pop corn', thanks to his victory streak going uninterrupted from 'defeating' Brock, and just before reaching the gym he defeated a local youngster, his tenth victory in a row. Then we arrived at the gym.

" 'A.J. Gym. Not recognized by the Pokemon League. 98 victories to 0 losses'." I read. "Well, this guy has some victory more than you, Ash."

"Don't worry, now he will have a loss!" Ash replied.

"He's getting a big head." Misty declared.

"Yeah, but his brain's still the same size!" Brock added.

"Are you sure? I think that his brain SHRINKED." Antonio said.

Then I sensed someone arriving. And I understood WHO was A.J. and why Rose wanted me to meet him and Ash to challenge him: he was an old friend of mine and a trainer really TOO strong for Ash.

When arrived with some just captured Pokemon, he asked: "Who's the challenger?"

"Are you A.J.?" Ash replied.

"He's Andreas James Roberts, a really good trainer." I said.

Yes, the Andreas James from my days in TR was the trainer who opened an unofficial gym near Viridian City under the name 'A.J.'(5).

"Enrico?" he asked after hearing my voice, going to reach one of his Pokeballs.

"Don't worry, I quitted TR. Didn't Rose told you this?" I replied.

"Er... No."

Well, Rose forgot to tell him that. Sometimes, even she has some strange moment. But after our little discussion Ash called for his match, and Andreas guided us to the ring of his gym.

"3 versus 3. Are you ready for my 99th victory?" Andreas asked.

"Uh, OK... But why are you here, if you are so strong?" Ash replied.

"I decided to defeat 100 foes before collecting badges."

"Oh, really? Look here: two badges and ten matches!"

"Wonderful! Where did you won those, at Failure City and Wimpsville?"

Misty and Brock's reactions were wonderful. If I had a camera... Then Andreas summoned his Sandshrew, Gaara.

"Unaffected by Electric-type attacks, but in disadvantage against Flying-type Pokemon." I said.

"I know, I know..." Ash replied.

Ash unleashed his Pidgeotto and ordered a Gust. When the Gust hit, however, Gaara was curled up and completely deflected the hit, and then counterattacked with a Body Slam, KOing Pidgeotto with one (too) powerful hit. Then Ash called out his Butterfree. KOed with a Poison Sting barrage before Ash finished ordering the Stun Spore. As last chance, Ash called for his Pikachu, but the Pikachu zapped him to not fight the allmighty Gaara of the Desert (a nickname from Rose). 99th victory for A.J., after that I went to sleep while Ash learned his lesson (and shouted that Andreas cheated before admitting that he was simply stronger). Then I was woken up by Team Rocket, and reacted badly: I made Eugenio shave Jesse's hair. I hate her loud laughing.

"HOW YOU DARE!" she shouted.

"With Eugenio's cut." I replied.

"I'LL DEFEAT YOU!"

"Hold on, you two called Gaara a second-rate Pokemon." Andreas stated.

"Well, he IS second rate!" Meowth replied.

"I'll defeat you in the arena. NOW."

"Tag battle?" I asked.

"Well, let's humiliate these B-rankers together!"

"Good. Antonio, you're up."

We exited in the arena. Jesse was fuming, and called for her Ekans. James was looking around to escape, but he summoned his Koffing. And Meowth was ready to give orders.

"Gaara, Fissure(6)." Andreas ordered.

"WHAT?!?!?!" everybody shouted.

Two seconds later, Jesse, James, Ekans and Meowth were in the fissure. Koffing was in the air looking Gaara REALLY worried, when Antonio jumped on him and hit with a point-blank Hydro-Pump (the first thing I teached him), sending him to his trainer. 100th victory for A.J.

"Well, that was your 100th victory. But exactly WHY you were waiting?" I asked.

"The Siora(7) of Viridian's Gym." he replied.

"The what?" Misty asked.

"The self-declared leader of the Ground-type trainers from Viridian's Gym." Ash replied. "I don't know her, but I heard that she has a rival with the Johtaja(8) of Viridian Forest."

"She defeated you, didn't she?" I asked.

"Defeated? HER RHYDON DECIMATED MY TEAM!" A.J. replied.

"H-how?" Ash asked.

"Well, I found some student from the Pokemon Tech(9) bullying a traveling trainer, and I defeated them. Then she appeared and criticized my use of Ground-type attacks, I replied that she didn't know what I was saying..."

"And she decimated you and told that you'll need 100 victories to ask a rematch. She won't change... Well, I was going there. We could go together."

We went all to the Pokemon Tech. We went all to know HER.

footnotes

(1)As seen just two episodes later, Misty is nearly unbeatable when she has the Type disadvantage: almost all times when her Water Pokemon were faced by a Grass or Electric-type, she won fair and square, the only exception being Ash's Grass-type (in _Who Gets to Keep Togepi_ Ash's Bulbasaur defeated Misty's Psyduck with an improvised Tickle. In _The Totodile Duel_ Misty got her revenge defeating Pikachu with Togepi's CHARM, but in the same episode Ash's Grass-types defeated Misty's Staryu and Poliwhirl).

(2)As seen in _Pokemon Scent-Sation_: Erika's Gloom is horribly stinking even for a Gloom (and Glooms in the anime are reputed for being stinking). That Gloom's smell is so bad that it was described by James (just before fainting for it) as a mixture of old sneakers, garbage and rotten eggs with a hint of skunk fumes, and managed to defeat TR and Ash's Charmander, and, in a flashback, force a GRIMER (a really stinking Pokemon who lives in polluted habitats and sewers) to run away.

(3)Well, I always found a bit strange that Brock started his journey with two COMPLETE STRANGERS who fought all the time. OK, maybe he knew Misty as they were both gym leaders, but it's still strange. Then I remembered that when his father revealed himself Brock immediatly forced him to took over in their house...

(4)I'm glad to remember you that Rose is derived from the Blue girl from _Pokemon Special_ (Green in the _Pokemon Adventures_ version). And Blue is incredibly skilled in evolving Pokemons, being even nicknamed The Evolver by Oak. Enrico derived from Silver of the same manga, and like The Trader is a bit greedy.

(5)I bet you didn't see this coming: I modeled Andreas from A.J. I loved that one-time character from _The Path To the Pokemon League_...

(6)It's a bit strange that a so tiny Pokemon used such map-changing move, but in Generation I games, Fissure was a TM move that Sandshrew could learn. And A.J. Sandshrew KNOWS Fissure, and used it in the episode _The Path To the Pokemon League_. Also, Ash's battling Tauros in _Hello, Pummelo!_ and _Enter the Dragonite_ knows the move, having used it in two occasions.

(7)Literally, 'lady' or 'master' in Venetian language.

(8)Same as 'siora', but in Finnish.

(9)A trainer academy in the anime, from the episode _The School of Hard Knocks_. It's a really high-level academy, and its graduates are automatically admitted at the Kanto's Pokemon League conference. Note: graduating is not sure, in _The School of Hard Knocks_ one of the 'freshmen' was in his late twenties while all the other students were child or teenagers...


	13. Chapter 13

Are you ready for my favourite one-time character? No? Well, that's not my problem. Also, the first part of the chapter is not the greatest, I know, but I needed it.

by lord Martiya

**TALE 13: VS CUBONE**

Later that day we were on the road for the Pokemon Tech when we saw a huge shadowed object in the middle of the road.

"Wh-what's that?" Ash asked, worried.

"It's a Fire Pokemon with a very HUGE potential." I replied.

Andreas and Ash proceeded to near him, ready to fight or run. Then they saw what exactly was.

"HE'S A CHARMANDER ON A ROCK(1)!" shouted Ash.

"I said that he had potential, not that he was powerful yet." I replied. "Not for my standard. Andreas, why are you staring at me?"

"You joked..." he replied, still shocked.

"You're right. It's the first time that I joked without my sister..."

"I claim!" Ash declared preparing a Pokeball.

Then he throwed the Pokeball. And nothing happened.

"Trained Pokemon." I declared. "A bit strange... Why are you here?"

The Charmander explained that his trainer told him to wait for him there. Looking Charmander's tail flame I was worried for him(2), but in the end we decided to go at a Pokemon Centre nearby and entered just before a storm.

"I hope that Charmander's trainer returned." Ash said.

My attention was caught by a boy with an horrible Aura who was boasting his huge collection of Pokemon with his clique.

"Do you know Damian?" Ash asked me.

"No. Do you?" I replied.

"He began with me(3), but he's a jerk, even more than Gary."

I was about to reply when I heard a disgusting thing: asked by a jerk of his clique, Damian admitted that he abandoned his Charmander, his FIRST POKEMON, on a rock ordering him to wait for him, and laughed that probably he was still there. At that point I released Snyer and sent him to recover Damian's and his clique ID numbers, while Brock ordered him to recover his Pokemon. After Snyer recovered the ID numbers, I intervened.

"Damian Arber, you shall rescue your Pokemon or you shall face consequences. There will be no other call." I ordered.

"You wanna fight?! Accepted!" Damian replied grabbing one of his Pokeballs.

All of his clique grabbed their Pokeballs, and were prepared to start a fight when the local Nurse Joy stepped in to pacify and lecture us about correct Pokemon use. Then I flashed her my G-Man badge.

"They will be punished, all of them." I said. "L- Hey, wait for us!"

I was ordering to go and rescue the Charmander, but Ash departed before I managed to end, followed by Misty before I finished to telling him to wait. And she believed that nobody noticed that she had a crush on Ash... How dense can people be?

However, we managed to take the Charmander to the Pokemon Centre, and he took a liking for Ash. Then, after being saved and cured (he was suffering from malnutrition and severe dehidratation. Yes, even Fire Pokemon need water to live), he went back to the rock, even if he needed to rest for a while.

"You four, continue the journey, I'll have a talk with the Charmander and return." I said.

"But..." Ash began.

"No but."

"Can you really talk to Pokemon?!"

"They can understand me and I can understand them."

With my motorbike I reached the Charmander.

"WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!?!?!" I shouted. Sometimes we need to do it.

He replied that he had to return to the rock and wait for his master.

"Listen... Do you know that we humans can register voices and messages?" I asked. When he nodded, I played Damian's voice when he declared what he had in mind for his Charmander. "Look, you don't need to remain faithful to him. He betraied you. What do you want to do?"

After recovering from the shock, he told me that he wanted to join Ash. So I took him on my sidecar and reached Ash. Who was in a hole with Andreas, Misty and Brock, while TR was about to left with Pikachu in a gumball. One Charmander's Flamethrower later, they were running away. And just after Andreas and the others resurfaced thanks to Gaara, Damian appeared, telling that he came back to recover his Charmander.

"You were casually here and saw that Charmander is powerful, that's why you want him back!" Ash accused.

"It was kinda obvious, but you're still right." Antonio added.

"He's my Pokemon, he must obey me!" Damian declared. Then his Pokedex bipped. He controlled, and swore a lot.

"I'm a Pokemon G-Man, and I suspended your licence and legally freed your Charmander." I explained. "Also, your other Pokemon will be cared by the governement until you'll be tried. If you're cleared, you'll have them back. If you're condemned, they'll be freed in a preserve. Now, please resist to the arrest, I'd like to hurt you..."

He was about to try to run, when a Jenny appeared and arrested him. Brock didn't courted him, but there was a reason: he knew that Jenny, she was a bit dangerous and, according to Brock, was willing to do him something that I don't want to repeat if he courted him again while she was busy.

We resumed our journey, and Ash got a Charmander.

The day after, and after walking for a while, we stopped in the fog somewhere near the Pokemon Tech. And Ash and Misty were arguing AGAIN on Misty's bike destruction at the hands of Ash Ketchum's Pikachu. Then, thanks both them, the stress of the Damian encounter and the stress bringed me by the girl we were going to meet, I was pissed off.

"SHUT UP NOW, OR I'LL BORROW MY SISTER'S SWORD COLLECTION AND I'LL USE ON YOU WHERE THE SUN CANNOT STRIKE YOU." I menaced, forcing them to shut up. Then I called for a little order: "Brock, you'll cook us a dish, immediatly. Be free to use those two arguing idiots as you wish."

We remained speechless while Brock produced a table, chairs, flowers, a lot of food, his Official Pokemon Tea Set (the hell?!?!?!), a bottle of Mt. Moon Springwater and various other things from his hammerspace backpack(4), ready to cook crepes and prepare some tea. The only thing he didn't manage to produce from his hammerspace bag was a gas-ring or something like that, so Ash had to search for firewoods.

While Ash was searching and we were recovering from Brock's backpack, I know that a lot of people had things like that, at the time I was keeping my motorbike in MY backpack, but I was shocked for the presence of the table and the absence of the gas-ring, Andreas asked me on how I knew that girl.

"You'll know soon." I replied. "It's so painfMAPPORCA..."

While talking with Andreas I was walking in Ash's direction, and I found myself in Aura-sensing range of the Pokemon Tech walls. Then I heard Ash's shout.

"All of you, come with me before Ash manage to be beated by the Pokemon Tech students." I ordered.

Misty was the faster, but Ash rejected her help before realizing that he was provoking five students.

"Fighting is for cavemen." they declared, luckily for Ash.

"The time changes, but the Tech students are always the same." I commented, looking at them.

They looked at Andreas and me, then they went away.

"Hey! Where are you going, you cowards!" Ash shouted.

"Shut up and thanks that they saw Andreas and me. They're going to call for the Siora." I told him. Then I looked at the only Tech student who remained and I asked: "Do you have problems with the theory part?"

"Yes... How do you know?" he replied.

"We use the treadmill even at Viridian's gym. I'm Enrico Paolucci."

"Joe Roberts... Wait, Paolucci?! Are..."

"Yes, we are."

"What's the treadmill?" Brock asked.

"In Viridian's Gym we uses to make students run on treadmills while quizzing them to 'convince' them to study better. If Siora Giselle(5) decided to use this method on Joe, it's a sign that she cares of you in her sick manner."

"If she cares of him, how she would treat someone she hates?"

"She would search for a manner to have him killed without being blamed. If she could be honored for that, she'll kill the hated in public. And that method really helped you, Joe, didn't it?"

"Well, yes." he confirmed. "I have to thank them..."

"WHAT?!" Andreas, Misty, Ash and Brock shouted.

"Aureliano, Defog." I ordered to my Pokemon, unveiling that we were in the park of the Pokemon Tech. Then I pointed a twenty-years old student and asked: "Joe, in what class is him?"

"Beginner's class, like me." Joe answered, shocking the guys.

"Pokemon Tech is an exclusive school. It has outrageous fees, but to advance you need to be very good. That's why graduates are admitted in every regional Conference without need for badges. And why Giselle has to care of him for using the treadmill."

"But that's an abuse of fellow students! Why professors don't do anything?!" Misty asked.  
"They don't even know about, and if they do they pretend not to not have to face her." Joe explained.

"I understand." I replied.

"Well, I don't!" Ash declared. "That's a violation of students' rights, and has to be stopped immediatly if not sooner! I must find her!"

"Here's a picture." Joe said producing a picture of Giselle.

Brock and Ash immediatly started to drool at the picture, for Misty's dismay, while Andreas looked away to not do that.

"Hey! If she's making your life so miserable, why are you carrying her picture around?!" Misty asked to Joe.

"Well, I hate how she treats me, but I like how she looks." Joe admitted.

"Yeah... Not like some other girl who treats you bad and looks even worse..." Ash said while still drooling.

At that point Misty decided to teach Giselle a lesson, and proceeded to the fighting building.

"Oh, damn... We must stop her before Giselle destroy her AND the school!" Joe said.

"Naaa... Giselle won't go SO serious unless really needed." I replied.

Joe proceeded to stop her, and said what he had to not say: that he could defeat Water Pokemons without problem. They challenged, and Misty's Starmie defeated Joe's Weepinbell with a single Water Gun.

"But... Weepinbell is strong against Water Pokemons..." Joe blabbered, stunned by the defeat. Then Giselle decided to appear.

"True, but there's one thing you didn't know: your opponent's from the Cerulean City GYM." she said after appearing with her clique and her servants-bodyguards. "Her Pokemons are much more experienced at battling. You should know that. You're an embarassment to the all school. Even if not as those two guys would be if they were students..."

We all saw Ash and Brock drooling at Giselle. Brock was even producing a camera, but I crushed the camera.

"Aww... Why did you did that?" she asked me.

"I don't like that people like him have pictures of you, and I like even less that you force your photographer to pay you for the pictures." I replied.

"But I'm more beautiful than glamour supermodels, you know. I'm thinking that you're gelous, little brother. You know, I'm the top student of the beginning class of the most exclusive prep-school in the world, Pokemon Tech. It's sad that others aren't blessed with my beauty, my talent, my humble attitude. People call me a star, but... I'm just Giselle(6)."

While the people was staring at me, shocked by the fact that Giselle was my big sister (you know, we have totally different looks and mannerisms), and Antonio was laughing at me while I was deciding if broking the wall with headbutts or not 'cause my sister's performance and the fact that, for a girl intelligent, beautiful and rich like her she WAS and IS humble, she went to Joe and continued to lecture him, finishing with a menace of turning her back on him for good.

"Not so fast!" Misty called. "A true friend won't abandone a friend in need! You could look beautiful, but your beauty is only skin deep!"

Giselle then replied in Candracan, and her main bodyguard, Muley-El-Kadel(7), said: "Siora Giselle is asking if you are gelous of her talents and beauty."

"I'm not gelous! AND WHY SHE'S NOT TALKING DIRECTLY TO ME?!?!?!" Misty replied.

"Siora Giselle doesn't like talking in languages different from Candracan, so she bothers only if the other people is worthy. I only translate."  
"WHAT?!?!?! GISELLE!!! I CHALLENGE YOU TO A POKEMON MATCH!!! NOW AND HERE!!!"

"Siora Giselle said that's your funeral."

Giselle called out her Graveler, Flamberga(8), against Misty's Starmie.

"What are you doing?! Rock-Ground Pokemons are weak against Water Pokemons!" Misty exclaimed.

"Siora Giselle said that Type weakness doesn't matter, because her Graveler is too strong." Muley replied for Giselle.

"STARMIE! BUBBLEBEAM!"

Giselle snapped her fingers, and Flamberga moved too fast for Starmie to intercept and Rollouted it out of the window, even shattering its crystal. Then we heard a splash, and Muley said for Giselle: "Directly in the pool, as Siora Giselle wanted. If you want to follow her..."

Giselle guided us to the pool, where she invited Misty to challenge her with every Pokemon she wanted.

"So you could use another Pokemon weak against Water-types?!" Misty replied.

"My sister is an Earth-Type specialist: all of her Pokemon are weak against Water-Types." I informed her. Giselle then decided to lecture Joe again.

"Pokemons are only as strong as the trainers who raises them." she said. "A Pokemon who is weak but has a better trainer can still win, it depends on the trainer. I hope you learned something from it, Joe. A Pokemon's level of training is just an important factor as the type in deciding a match. A first-class Pokemon trainer would calculate that."

"Wait a minute! Pokemon training is not limited to that!" Ash intervened, stopping drooling.

"Are you a Bug-Catcher or something like that from the Forest?"

"I'm Ash Ketchum from Pallet Town, and I already collected two badges!"

"Oh, really? Tell me, when you begin your journey?"

"She's gonna do it..." I and Giselle bodyguards declared.

She did it: after discovering that Ash was a trainer for two months and began with Pikachu, she used her encyclopedic knowledge to lecture him about Pikachu's characteristics and making fun of Ash because he didn't know but he still got two badges.

"Stop it! Let's battle!" Ash shouted after a while.

"Siora Giselle said that for your Pikachu this is more than a match." Muley said for Giselle while she summoned a Cubone.

"This is a new Pokemon." I stated.

"Yes, I caught him just a month ago and completed my main team." Giselle admitted. "I called him Gladio(8)."

"Thanks. Andreas, five hundreds that Giselle wins in less than two minutes."  
"Ash's strong, she'll need more time." Andreas replied.

"It's a deal."

"Thundershock!" Ash ordered to his Pikachu, both of them pissed of by our bet.

Obviously, when the attack connected it made no damage against the bone and the skin of an Earth-type. Giselle made Gladio reply with Leer, and Pikachu replied starting a staring contest. Pikachu won the contest when Giselle got pissed off and made Gladio Bone Club him in the head, following the attack with a Bonemeraang.

"49 seconds, I won the bet." I stated.

"Trowing that bone is a cheap way to win!" Ash declared while Pikachu was recovering from the attack.

"It's authorized from the Pokemon League." I declared.

Another Bonemeraang stroke Pikachu, to prevent him from returning on his feets.

"Calling it a cheap trick won't help you to win." Giselle said.

"Hold it on, Pikachu! If your opponent's attack is authorized, then it's fighting him back! Give your best shot!" Ash ordered to his Pokemon.

Pikachu ran at Gladio and dodged a Bonemeraang, then turned the skull-helmet of Gladio to block his sight. Then he scrathed, bited and kicked Gladio, who returned his skull at his place just in time to be stroke by his own Boonemerang. Everybody stared, unable to process.

"Ash won..." Andreas declared. He was the first to recover.

"In 1 minute and 48 seconds..." I said. "Draw?"

"Draw."

After recovering from the shock and recalling Gladio, Giselle proceeded to admit that Ash had a point because without all that improvisation she would have won BEFORE the two minutes. Then Jesse & James & Meowth appeared telling their motto. And interrupting when they noticed the only one of Giselle's bodyguards that was NOT aiming at them with military assault rifle F2000 with grenade launcher or shotgun modules mounted was Mana(9), who was aiming at them with a FIM-92 Stinger(10) missile.

"Not shoot them." Giselle ordered. "I will teach them the true terror of Giselle Paolucci. SCHIAVONA(8), FISSURE! But ligth."

Giselle unleashed her mighty Rhydon, who, with a 'light' stomp, opened an enormous fissure in the terrain. TR ran away screaming, while Misty, Ash and Brock understood why she was so scary (wouldn't you be scared by a crazy girl who has a Pokemon able to rearrange the local geography?).

Andreas challenged again Schiavona, but was humiliated again. Then Ash's group and Andreas departed for their respective journeys and Joe decided to imitate them, impressed by Ash's battle against Giselle. While he was packing and I was preparing my motorbike, Giselle went to me.  
"Tell me, foolish little brother, is it true that you quitted Team Rocket and you're now fighting daddy?" she asked.

"Yes, and I have a master plan." I replied, and proceeded to explain my plan.

"Oh, my... I must call you mad genious little brother, now." she commented, impressed. "By the way, did you know that I managed to make all my bodyguards faithful only to me?"

"I supposed so." I replied. "You are THE mad genious of our family and the sworn enemy of Giovanni."

"And, tell me, is that Ash Ketchum booked or engaged?"

"No, why? Oh, no, don't tell me..."

"He's cute and in some year he will be beautiful enough to not cut a poor figure near me. He's strong for a beginner and will be even stronger as the time passes. And his ingenuity make up for his ignorance. He's PERFECT for me."

"Beware of Misty, she has a crush on him, even if she won't say it."

"She's not a factor. But... Can I give you a little advice?"

"What advice?"

"Challenge gym leaders. The Cerulean ones are weaklings, but normally leaders are very strong and experienced, you'll become a stronger trainer. When I'll finish here, and I'm planning to pass the exams in two months, I'll do the same, STARTING WITH DADDY! And you?"

"I'll accept your advice."

footnotes

(1)I now that this is a scene from _Charmander the Stray Pokemon_ and that that episode was after _The School of Hard Knocks_, but I needed this slight alteration.

(2)In anime continuity, a Charmander will die if the flame on his tail stops to burn. The same's for Charizards (in _Charizard's Chills_ Ash's Charizard's tail flame was hit by a watergun and Charizard was immediatly weakened), but it's not confirmed for Charmelions.

(3)Damian is a one-time character, but in the anime he's NOT one of the two unknown trainer who started with Ash and Gary. He can be described with one word: jerk.

(4)Exactly, in _The School of Hard Knocks_ Brock produced from his backpack the following things: a table; three chairs; a table-cloth; napkins; paper napkins; a dish with bread; three plates; a milk-cup; a sugar bowl; flowers in a jar; a clock; a portable coffee-machine; prune juice; the Official Pokemon Tea Set; a bottle of Mt. Moon Springwater (judging from the difficulties in producing that, he had in the bag a lot of those bottles); a whisk; a bowl. Now I'm wondering on why he didn't carried something to produce fire without firewoods...

(5)Giselle, like Joe, is a character of the day in _The School of Hard Knocks_. She's a bit rude and really prideful, but she's also a very good trainer (top student in the beginner's class) and so beautiful to make Ash literally DROOL at her. In the anime she possesses a Graveler, who humiliated Misty's Starmie, and a Cubone, who was defeated by Ash's Pikachu after a difficult battle. Because I LOVE the character, I'll use some of the phrases she used in the episode.

(6)Believe it or not, Giselle REALLY said this exact phrase from "I'm the top student" to "I'm just Giselle" in her episode.

(7)With only one exception, Giselle's bodyguards and servants (my invention: in the anime she don't have servants other than those five students. At least she don't show them) are named after Emilio Salgari's novels. Muley-El-Kadel, nicknamed Lion of Damascus, is a character from the novels _Capitan Tempesta_ and _Il Leone di Damasco_.

(8)Giselle's team nicknames are themed after swords used in Italy. Flamberga is Italian for the flammenshwert, an enormous two-handed flame-bladed sword used by the Landaknechts (who fought in Italy) elite troopers to cut enemy pikes and broke the enemy lines. Gladio is Italian for gladius, the collective names of various types of shortswords used by Roman troopers for stabbing, killing every enemy near-istantly, or cutting, literally dismembering the enemies (this in Macedonian Wars gave a psychological edge to the Romans because Macedons were terrified by the dismembered bodies of their falled comrades). The schiavona was a Venetian sword, originally used by the cavalry units of the Schiavoni (Croats and Dalmatians) and then, after proving one of the better cavalry and infantry swords ever produced (and copied), by the entire Venetian armed forces and various foreigners.

(9)She's the bodyguard who's not named after Salgari's characters. She's named and modeled after the beautiful and gun-crazy mercenary woman Mana Tatsumiya, from _Negima! Magister Negi Magi_, who was seen using an M40A1 semi-automatic carbine (airsoft replica), two 6mm chambered Desert Eagle pistols (airsoft replicas), an Hecate II heavy sniper rifle (this is the explitely stated as NOT an airsoft replica. Yes, she possesses and uses an actual .50 BMG chambered rifle), a PSG1 sniper rifle (it's not stated if it's real or an airsoft replica, but with that Mana can strike a victim with ricocheting rounds), a P90 submachine gun (it's not stated if it's real or an airsoft replica), an original MG42 machine gun (a World War II German light machine gun able to shoot between 900 and 1500 rounds/min. The modern M240, used in present in the same role by US Army, can shoot between 650 and 950 rounds/min) and two P228 pistols (real). She problably possess other and more letal guns for anti-tank and anti-aircraft use, but to this date she was only seen shooting at people.

(10)A personal portable suface-to-air missile, light and relatively easy to operate.


	14. Chapter 14

Return to Jotho. And you'll now see characters from Hoenn and Sinnoh.

by lord Martiya

**TALE 14: VS PILOSWINE**

I followed Giselle's advice, and challenged Jotho's gym leaders to not overstep in Giselle's territory and reduce at minimum the contact with TR outside missions. Besides, I still wasn't ready to take on Giovanni, so...

My first match was at Terranea City(1) against the local Earth-type gym leader. He was good, but I discovered that I knew what he was doing before he decided to do. He's still cursing Giovanni's teachings for the easyness of my victory... The second match was the funniest: Falkner, Violet City gym leader, used Flying Pokemons and was prejudiced against Earth-type and Grass-type Pokemons ability to stand against his loved birds(2), so I decided to defeat him with Federico. He took well his Skarmory's loss against Federico's Firepunch. He was a bit depressed when Federico bounded his Dodrio's legs with his three long necks (I had a very bad time at unbound him, but it was worth of). He screamed in horror and fainted when Federico used Earthquake in Viridian Style against his Pidgeot. Yes, Federico used Earthquake directly on Pidgeot's back.

Anyway, I won the various badges, sometimes with ease, sometimes with some problem (then I began to realize my real level of power), but only two times the battles were notable. Well, three, if we count Falkner's demise.

The first of those two matches was at Goldenrod City. When I arrived at the gym, I found four people arguing on who got to challenge the gym leader, who was about to depart for another region and being replaced by Whitney(3). Three of them were Jimmy with his pals from Newbark Town, Vincent Jackson (or Jackson Vincent, I still have problem in understand what's the name and what's the surname, or if he has two names(4)) and Marina, whose names I learned in that moment. The fourth was a kid from Sinnoh named Paul(5), who wanted to enter first to, I quote every word, 'make them a favor defeating the gym's most powerful Pokemon'. Obviously, it was not take well by Jimmy nor Vincent.

"Never heard of royal battle?" I asked.

"YOU!" Jimmy exclaimed.

"No, I'm his sister. Why don't we establish who will fight first with a royal battle?"

"Stay out of this." Paul said. "Or else, you'll be defeated."

"Dude, we cannot beat him toe-on-toe!" Vincent warned while Jimmy nodded.

"Yes, he's incredibly strong!" Marina added.

"Good! Now you will understand who's the best!" Paul declared unleashing his Grotle. "Solo match, with our starters!"

"Are you sure?" I asked.

"Come on, Viridian boy! Don't be a coward!"

Well, after beating Terranea's gym I put my Student's Badge on the neck of my outfit to warn Terranea's trainers about who they were facing, so Paul managed to recognize me as a student of the most famous and prized Earth-Type expert. Too bad that my first was an ICE-Type with type advantage over his Grotle and fast enough to deliver him an Ice Punch in his eye passing his defence attempt and not a disadvantaged Earth-Type. One-hit KO, and Jimmy got a good laugh. He and the other three accepted the battle royal against Federico, who trumped their newly-evolved starters with a single Earthquake.

"I, Enrico Paolucci from Viridian City, challenge the leader of this gym to battle for the Plain Badge!" I declared as I stepped in.

"Like you can possibly win..." a twerp said me.

"MAX! WE HAVE TO GO SCHOOL!!!" his big sister told him before dragging him away.

"What the..." Jimmy began.

"The four-eyed twerp was Max, the littlest child of the gym leader, and the bandana girl was his big sister May." Antonio explained reading from a pamphlet.

"A TALKING POKEMON?!?!?!" Paul exclaimed.

"Well, that's inusual, but not so rare." a man said. "I'm Norman(6), the gym leader. I heard about you, and I want to warn you that I'll attack with everything I have."

"No problem."

We decided to have a three vs three match. My first Pokemon was Snyer. His was a Slaking in all his might.

"That's a problem." I said. "OK, let's prove that anti-Nidoqueen plan."

Snyer began to ran around Slaking at full speed, then tried a quick attack that Slaking dodged before trying a counterattack with a point-blank Brick Break that met a flying Ice Beam. Snyer recoiled away from the attack, and Slaking had an arm completely frozen. Then Snyer attacked with an Ice Punch. The idea was blocking the target's arm and then forcing him to chose between having the other arm frozen or receive the hit on the nose or the eye, a near-crippling injury and surely a KO hit. What I understimated was that Norman was A LOT more expert than me and the most powerful gym leader in Jotho: he had his Slaking block Snyer's hand with his, blocking the two arms linked in the ice, and then made him launch a Fire Blast. I managed to call back Snyer just before he was hit by the flame, that completely defrozen that arm.

"Scared?" he asked while I was studying him.

"Well, I'm trying to figure out how to beat you." I replied, wondering how beating a slow moving Pokemon with immense power. "I guess I have no choice other than overpower your Pokemon. Raimondo, go and beat him!"

I made Raimondo use Hydro Pump, and Norman tried to use it to break the ice on Slaking arm. Too bad that this time I was expecting something like that: while he was soaked he got Thundered first and then Hyper Beamed, winning the match. Norman was surprised that somebody managed to overpower a Pokemon almost on par with the Legendaries(7), but then grinned and sent out a Pidgeot. Well, at least I understood why his arena was so tall. Besides, I immediatly understood his plan: while Slaking can be fast, he's so lazy that rarely moves, while a Pidgeot defining trait is the combo between his speed and not being in the same spot for more than two seconds. So, my opening was a powerful Blizzard to blanket every spot, that Norman countered with a combo between Whirlwind and Air Slash, followed by an Hyper Beam.

"Too bad." I replied when Raimondo was still standing. "Thunderwave."

Raimondo paralized Pidgeot with his attack. I didn't wanted to risk having the Pidgeot running away in the split-second needed for something really hurtful like a Thunder, so I had Raimondo blocking him there. Then, he fainted, so I had Snyer try and use Pidgeot as a punching bag, but Norman retired him from the match and released a Kangaskhan. I tried a Quick Attack, but Kangaskhan replied with a barrage of Comet Punch and a Mega Kick(8), and Snyer narrowly avoided being literally kicked out of the match when he somehow improvised a Sucker Punch(9). The cross counter and Kangaskhan defeat surprised even me.

"Well, that's anticlimatic." Norman stated before handing me the Plain Badge. "So, do you want to challenge me too?"

Jimmy's group and Paul decided to wait until Whitney took over from Norman. I can understand them, I began to understand the real ability of Ash Ketchum years later when I discovered that he too defeated Norman in Hoenn, even if Norman didn't go all-out with him.

The other memorable battle was the one against Pryce of Mahogany Town. He was less powerful than Clair or Norman (who was the most powerful Jotho gym leader before going to Petalburg City), but he was way more expert than the other two and some very nasty trick in his sleeve, as I discovered battling him. I was confident about the first round of our two-on-two match because he was using a Jynx and I Snyer.

"Jynx, use Blizzard!" he ordered.

Then, the Jynx disappeared in the Blizzard, reappearing only for a Mean Look and a Dynamic Punch before disappearing again.

"Good reflexes, but still inadequate." Pryce commented chuckling. "Jynx, LOVELY KISS!"

Jynx tried his attack, but I had a counter: Swords Dance. Rotating on himself, Snyer managed to hook Jynx lips before being Kissed, then he counterattacked with a Fury Cutter swipe until she fainted. I won with superior power. But the second round ended in just one attack, a powerful Return from Pryce's Piloswine.

"Maybe I overdid that... Naa." Pryce commented. "So, continue or retire?"

"I came here to win a Glacier Badge and I can still win." I replied summoning Federico.

"A Ground-Type against an Ice-Type in an Ice Field? Well, I hope you have a plan, kid: I know that you people of Viridian City are in love with Ground-types, but sentimental preferences never won a match. Unless you uses Return!"

"I have a plan."

"Really? Well, I'll tell you a little trivia, before defeating you: a badge make the trainer more powerful."

"What?"

"I'm not a badge maker and I don't know how, but I know that if you have a Gym Badge tuned with the Ice-Type your Ice-Type Pokemons will be more powerful. The same's for the other types. Sadly, that's not cumulative, or my Ice-type Pokemons will be undefeatable."

"Why you tell me this?"

"Because I heard about you, and in a match you learn a lot about your foe. So I trust you. Now, let's beat you! Piloswine, Blizzard!"

He was trying again the disappearing trick, but this time I pulled my ace out of the sleeve. You should have seen Pryce's face when I made Federico Fire Punch his Piloswine and pointing the exact direction. The poor Piloswine was forced into the ice and burned. Pryce immediatly ordered a Rest, but I didn't wanted to take the chance, and ordered a Fire Blast.

"NO! STOP!" Pryce cried while shielding Piloswine from the Fire Blast.

"DON'T ATTACK, FEDERICO!" I cried.

I didn't make in time, and Pryce and his Piloswine were badly burned from the attack(10). At least, Federico managed to slightly redirect the attack, and Pryce wasn't incinerated.

I had just exited the Mahogany Gym with the Glacier Badge Pryce insisted I won when I received a call on the PokéGear. A private number.

"I hope for your life that you have a good reason to call me, or I'll find you." I said in the PokéGear.

"_How mean, Enrico... Did you slept, last night?_" Rose's familiar voice replied from the PokéGear.

"Rose?! Why hiding your number?"

"_Public computers' numbers are hidden, you know, and at the moment I prefer using that. Listen, can you come at Vermillion City? There're Jesse and James disguised as schoolgirl and giving away tickets for the ship _St. Anne_ to trainers, and I suspect they're planning something. Can you make it in three days?_"

"I can reach Goldenrod with a local train and take a plane to Saffron. Then it will not be difficult-"

"_Good! I'll leave a ticket for you at the Pokemon Centre, J&J gave it for my BOYFRIEND... Well, nice to have made you blush. See you!_"

I'm still wondering how she knew that I would blush at that...

footnotes

(1)My invention. Terranea literally means 'Property of the Earth', so Terranea is the City of the Earth.

(2)Anime canon: he expressed this prejudice during his match with Ash when faced by Chikorita. He also dislikes the prejudice that his Flying Pokemons are helpless against Electric Pokemons.

(3)She's generally shown as relatively new at her job in both the games, the anime and the _Pokemon Special_ manga. I went along.

(4)Retcon to the fact that in the US version of the anime he has TWO names: in his debut episode, the special _The Legend of Thunder_, he was named Vincent, but in his appearance in the regular series (aired before _The Legend of Thunder_ outside Japan) he was Jackson.

(5)Yes, he's the same Paul from the _Diamond and Pearl_ series. For now he'll act a bit different from his anime self.

(6)And that's the same Norman from the _Advanced Generation_ series. In the games and the _Pokemon Special_ manga he's from Jotho, like here. I'll try to make his tactics similar to the ones he used on Ash in _Balance of Power_, but remember, he didn't go all out with Ash, here he will.

(7)Stats wise, it's true: Slaking has stats similar to the Legendary Pokemon ones and the third highest base Attack stat, on par with Regigigas and surpassed only by Rampardos and Deoxys in Attack Forme. His problem is that he's so lazy to attack only one time every two turns, and even for this there're two solutions in the forms of Skill Swap (Norman himself uses this trick in Pokemon Emerald double battle rematches) and Gastro Acid.

(8)Kangaskhan can learn Mega Kick in Generation I games.

(9)I know, Sneasel and Weavile can't learn it in the games, even if that's the increased priority move of the Dark Type and Sneasel and Weavile are very fast Pokemon.

(10)This happened in _As Cold as Pryce_. In the anime, the flashback place this event in a national tournament when Pryce was young.


End file.
